'Eight pitchers mobilized' Lee Seung-hyun's miracle of victory, succeeded as starter and in bullpen "I want to stay in the first division for a long time, I will pitch without regrets"

*This content was translated by AI.

He had already shown his potential as a starter, but it was different in the bullpen. This time, he directly ended the game from the bullpen at the moment the team needed it most. Park Jun-young (24, Hanwha Eagles) became the hero of a thrilling extra-inning victory.

Park Jun-young relieved in the bottom of the 9th inning in an away game against the Lotte Giants at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 7th, throwing 38 pitches over 2 innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 4 walks/strikes, recording 1 strikeout, and giving up 1 earned run.

Hanwha scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning and held the lead despite allowing a home run, securing a victory as a relief pitcher following his start. He recorded his second win of the season (1 loss, 1 hold).

Park Jun-young, a pitcher from Chungam High School, was dropped three times in the rookie draft but made his face known to baseball fans by appearing on the baseball variety program 'Bulkkot Baseball' after attending Cheongwoon University, and joined Hanwha as a development player ahead of this season.

Park Jun-young, who made a strong impact in the Futures League with 4 wins in 7 games and an ERA of 1.29, seized an opportunity in a team where the starters had collapsed. On the 10th, he secured a victory with a 5-inning scoreless performance against the LG Twins. It was the first time in KBO history that a debutant who was a development player earned a starting win.

After that, he appeared twice in the bullpen and allowed runs both times. On May 27, he started again against the NC Dinos, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing 3 runs, appearing to solidify his spot as the fifth starter. However, on the 2nd, he collapsed in just 3 innings against the Doosan Bears, allowing 3 runs. It was painful to allow two home runs in each of the two consecutive games.

On this day, he gave up the starting spot to Hwang Jun-seo and waited in the bullpen. When Hwang Jun-seo wavered, he began warming up from the bullpen in the 2nd inning, but another Park Jun-young (23) appeared, and he returned to the dugout again.

After the game, Park Jun-young said, "I had prepared, but pitchers in better condition took the field first," and added, "I kept watching the game, trying not to let my guard down and thinking anything could happen, so I tried to stay focused inside. I only thought, 'Please let us win.'"

However, with the lead not secured and the score tied 7-7 in the bottom of the 9th, he was finally brought in. As Coach Kim Kyung-moon had declared that all pitchers could appear except for Lee Sang-gyu, who had pitched on consecutive days, seven pitchers had appeared by the 8th inning. Excluding the starting pitcher and Jang Yu-ho, who had started in the second division, it was only Park Jun-young.

There was a crisis, but he overcame it bravely. The more anxious moment was the 9th inning. He started with two runners on base, and the batter took a bunt motion, but the only thought was to make it difficult somehow. The result was a bunt fly out. After that, he got Kim Min-seong on an infield fly ball and struck out Jeong Bo-geun with a surprising curveball.

Park Jun-young said, "When the bunt came, I tried to throw a strong pitch without giving up easily to induce a high fly ball, and I was lucky," and added, "I had confidence in the curveball and kept showing fast pitches before it. I had confidence in that pitch. It is the most memorable strikeout I recorded."

In the top of the 10th, Sim Woo-jun walked, Oh Jae-won got a hit, and Yonatan Peraza was hit by a pitch, followed by a fielder's error by Lotte that allowed 2 runs. In the bottom of the 10th, the pitcher was Park Jun-young again. He got Jang Du-seong on a center field fly ball and Hwang Seong-bin on a second baseman's grounder, appearing to end the game there, but he allowed a solo home run to Go Seung-min. Then he walked Kim Dong-hyuk and hit Choi Hang with a pitch. In a critical moment, he induced a grounder to the pitcher from Jeon Min-jae and ended the game himself.

Park Jun-young said, "The 9th inning was scarier than the 10th, and since the 10th was a 2-run difference, I thought I had a little more margin even after allowing a home run." After allowing a solo home run to Go Seung-min, he was in trouble again after walking Kim Dong-hyuk and hitting Choi Hang with a pitch. "I thought it was okay because it was still a 1-run difference even after the home run, and I tried to pitch with all my strength, but instead, I put too much force into it and lost control," he revealed. However, he eventually induced a grounder to the pitcher from Jeon Min-jae and ended the game with his own hands.

Park Jun-young said, "I haven't been able to show good performances in the bullpen, but I really wanted to show good form and I wanted to protect the 2nd-run victory no matter what."

He had already judged that the pattern could be read. Park Jun-young explained, "Since I analyze batters, I thought I should adopt a pitching pattern focused on that as much as possible, so I went with that pitching design."

His belief that the role doesn't matter remains unchanged. "No matter what role, if there is a situation where I am needed by this team, I will not refuse and can pitch. I want to stay in the first division for a long time," said Park Jun-young, adding, "(As for starter and bullpen) I still don't have confidence in either. I just promise to keep pitching on the mound without regrets."

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*This content was translated by AI.