'Bottom of the 9th, one out, runners on first and third,' down by one run: Why throw to second base instead of home? 39-year-old veteran reveals 'the reason' himself

*This content was translated by AI.

A critical scoring crisis in the bottom of the 9th. The 39-year-old battle-hardened veteran remained steady and even showed bold judgment.

On the 3rd, Kiwoom Heroes defeated the Doosan Bears 6-5 in a home game at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

With this win, the last-place Kiwoom snapped their losing streak at 'two' and improved to 29 wins, one tie, and 53 losses. They narrowed the gap with ninth-place SSG Landers in the league standings to three games.

On this day, Kiwoom turned the tide in the bottom of the 8th when defeat seemed imminent. Trailing 4-5 with one out and a runner on second, pinch-hitter Choi Ju-hwan hit a two-run double to left-center field for an equalizer. Seo Geon-chang then followed with a single up the middle, putting runners on first and third. An Chi-hong drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field, completing the 6-5 comeback.

Then came the top of the 9th — Doosan's final offensive opportunity. Instead of Yuto, who had pitched a perfect inning earlier in the 8th, manager Seol Jong-jin chose Won Jong-hyun for the mound. Although Yuto appeared to be in good condition and could have pitched another inning, the decision went to the veteran. It was a clear sign of the immense trust placed in Won Jong-hyun.

However, as soon as Won Jong-hyun took the mound, he allowed a single up the middle to Park Chan-ho. The following batter, Jung Soobin, attempted bunts on the first and second pitches but failed, eventually striking out looking for the first out.

The next batter, An Jae-seok, targeted Won Jong-hyun's first pitch and hit a single to left-center field, extending the runners-on-first-and-third situation. In response, Doosan substituted Lee Yu-chan as a pinch runner for An Jae-seok at first base instead of removing him.

Kang Seung-ho, who had hit a home run earlier in the game, stepped into the batter's box next. After throwing a strike on the first pitch, Won Jong-hyun delivered a slider on the second to induce a swing and miss. On the third pitch, he threw another slider, which Kang Seung-ho managed to make contact with, but the ball rolled toward the pitcher.

Here, Won Jong-hyun's boldness shone through. As soon as he fielded the ball, he made a daring throw not to home plate but to second base, essentially betting on the outcome. The result was an out. With Kang Seung-ho also called out while running from first, the game concluded with a Kiwoom victory.

After the game, Won Jong-hyun said, "Since we were leading, it was a situation where we had to be decisive. My teammates worked hard to create the foundation for victory, and I'm glad we could hold on to it."

Regarding the defensive play that led to a double play after one out, he added, "In a crisis situation, a ground ball came to the pitcher. With the runner at first already breaking for second, choosing to throw to second wasn't easy. However, I instantly judged that throwing home would be too late, so I sent the ball to second base, which led to the double play."

Finally, he promised, "No matter when or in what situation I take the mound, I always have enough time to prepare. Going forward, I will do my best to protect our team's victories."

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*This content was translated by AI.