'Record-Breaking 159 km/h' Kwak Bin: Who Will Stop Him? 'High QS, Personal 5-Game Winning Streak'... Doosan Ends First Half in 5th Place [Jamsil On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

No one could stop Kwak Bin (27, Doosan Bears), who received strong offensive support. Doosan concluded the first half in fifth place with a satisfying victory.

On the 8th, Doosan defeated SSG Landers 7-3 at Seoul Songpa-gu Jamsil Baseball Stadium during a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game.

With a record of 43 wins, 41 losses, and 2 ties, fifth-place Doosan extended its lead over sixth-place Hanwha Eagles, who had rested due to rain cancellation the previous day, by 1.5 games, finishing the first half in fifth place. Meanwhile, SSG, which snapped a nine-game losing streak the day before, suffered another loss and remained in ninth place with a record of 31 wins, 51 losses, and 3 ties.

Doosan lined up its batting order as follows: Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Son Ah-seop (right fielder), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yang Eui-ji (designated hitter), Ahn Jae-seok (third baseman), Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Jung Soobin (center fielder), Yoon Jun-ho (catcher), and Kang Seung-ho (first baseman). Kwak Bin started on the mound.

With Guillermo Heredia out due to injury, SSG countered with Jeon Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Jung (designated hitter), Kim Jae-hwan (left fielder), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Lee Ji-young (catcher), and Kim Sung-wook (right fielder). Jeon Young-jun took the mound as an emergency starter.

Although the game began with a significant disparity in starting pitching, SSG started strong. In the top of the second inning, with one out and no runners on base against Kwak Bin, Jeon Ui-san launched a powerful home run. Hitting a 156 km/h fastball at a 2-1 count, he sent it soaring over the right-field fence for a solo shot. The ball, struck by an incredibly fast pitch, rocketed away at 174.5 km/h. Jeon Ui-san's fourth home run of the season traveled 130 meters, marking a massive blast.

Doosan responded immediately with a home run of its own. Following consecutive hits by Yang Eui-ji and Ahn Jae-seok in the bottom of the second, Park Chan-ho executed a sacrifice bunt to load the bases with one out. Jung Soobin then delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. Yoon Jun-ho then capitalized on a 3-1 count with two outs and runners on first and third, driving in two runs by hitting Jeon Young-jun's 16 km/h higher fastball over the left-field fence for his third home run of the season.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, against reliever Lee Geon-wook, Jung Soobin reached second base on a pitcher's error and a balk with one out. After an infield hit by Yoon Jun-ho created a scoring opportunity, Kang Seung-ho doubled to center-left field, adding two more runs.

In the fifth inning, leadoff batter Park Jun-soon launched a solo home run over the left-field wall against pitcher Noh Kyung-eun. He swung decisively at a 139 km/h fastball on the first pitch, and the ball flew at 175.9 km/h, traveling 130 meters to clear the left-field fence for his eleventh home run of the season.

No one could control Kwak Bin, who received ample offensive support. In the sixth inning, with one out, he struck out Jeon Jun-jae and Park Sung-han back-to-back with swinging strikeouts. His fiery fastballs, brushing the outer edge of the strike zone, showcased his precise contact skills, leaving both batters watching helplessly as they stepped away.

Kwak Bin returned in the seventh inning, striking out Choi Jung with a hanbok-style fastball and Jeon Ui-san with a low-falling changeup. With Doosan leading 7-1, he handed the ball to Park Chi-guk starting in the eighth inning. Although substitute batter Choi Jun-woo hit a two-run home run with two outs and a runner on first base in the eighth, it was not enough to turn the tide of the game.

In the top of the ninth inning, with a four-run lead, closer Lee Young-ha took the mound. He retired Choi Jung via a swinging strikeout after nine pitches and fielded Kim Jae-hwan's hard-hit ball with a diving play by second baseman Lee Yu-chan. He then recorded Jeon Ui-san on a ground ball to third base to close out the game.

Kwak Bin, who threw 97 pitches over seven innings, allowed two hits, one walk, and struck out seven batters while surrendering only one earned run. Since last month, he has won five consecutive games in six appearances. Following his seven-inning, two-run performance against SSG on April 16, Kwak Bin once again delivered a stellar seven-inning outing against the same opponent. This marked his second high-quality start of the season (seven or more innings with two or fewer earned runs) and his eleventh quality start overall (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs).

Additionally, he added seven strikeouts today, finishing the first half in first place in the strikeout category with 112 total strikeouts, surpassing Adam Oller of KIA (105 strikeouts). His five-pitch sequence against Park Sung-han in the first inning reached 159 km/h (measured by TrackMan), breaking his previous personal best of 158.7 km/h recorded during a game against KT at Jamsil on May 28.

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*This content was translated by AI.