No third consecutive start for Kim Jae-yoon! Park Jin-man declares, "If a save situation arises, Bae Chan-seung or Lee Seung-min will likely be the ones to pitch."

*This content was translated by AI.

"If a save situation arises today (the 4th), Bae Chan-seung or Lee Seung-min will likely be the ones to pitch."

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) has firmly decided against a third consecutive start for closer Kim Jae-yoon (36), who pitched on two consecutive days (on the 3rd) but unfortunately ended up as the losing pitcher. The manager is giving Kim strict rest. Park identified left-handed veteran relievers Bae Chan-seung and Lee Seung-min as alternatives to fill the void left by Kim.

Kim Jae-yoon appeared in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs and the bases loaded in a 4-4 tie against the NC Dinos in a home game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 3rd. He struck out Park Geon-woo looking on an 8-pitch at-bat, seemingly extinguishing the threat. However, he returned to the mound in the bottom of the 10th extra inning, allowing a double to Do Tae-hoon and a hit to Park Si-won, putting the bases loaded again. Ultimately, he gave up a sacrifice fly to Kim Han-byul, driving in one run, before leaving the mound.

Right-hander Lee Seung-hyun, who came in to relieve, allowed the inherited runners from Kim Jae-yoon to score, ending up as the losing pitcher after pitching 2/3 of an inning and giving up two earned runs.

In fact, Kim Jae-yoon has shown extreme disparities in performance between home and away games this season. In nine away games, he posted a perfect record of one win, no losses, and six saves with an ERA of 0. However, in 16 home games at Daegu, his record stands at one win and three losses with six saves and an ERA of 6.28. Analysts suggest this is due to his pitching style, which features a high fly-ball-to-ground-ball ratio of 0.597, making it difficult to throw high fastballs in the compact space of Lions Park. While he remains the team's most powerful closing option in terms of velocity and control, the home field dilemma has deepened manager Park Jin-man's concerns.

However, manager Park Jin-man chose to prioritize pitcher protection and prevent overload over immediate results. In an interview, Park clearly stated, "Jae-yoon will rest today (the 4th). There will be no third consecutive start for Kim Jae-yoon."

Consequently, if a situation arises later in today's game where the outcome must be secured, new faces will take the mound. Manager Park Jin-man stated, "If a save situation comes today, considering the current velocity and rest conditions of the players, I think Bae Chan-seung or Lee Seung-min should step in to close it out. Depending on the situation, we will bring them in during the 8th or 9th inning," indicating his intention to entrust the critical moments to these two young pitchers.

As the exhausted closer Kim Jae-yoon takes a break, it remains to be seen whether the replacement closer cards trusted by manager Park can successfully secure Samsung's late-game defense.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.