'10 Wins, 5 Losses → 5 Consecutive Winning Series': Doosan Finishes First Half in 5th Place, "We Had Many Worries at the Start," The Manager Smiles [Jamsil On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the season, Doosan Bears appointed a new manager and resolved the long-standing concern of filling the shortstop position through free agency (FA). Despite this, they were not considered one of the top five contenders. That makes their performance even more satisfying.

Under the leadership of 54-year-old manager Kim Won-hyung, Doosan secured a decisive 7-0 victory over SSG Landers in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Seoul Songpa-gu Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 9th.

With a record of 44 wins, 41 losses, and 2 ties, Doosan finished the first half in fifth place, maintaining a two-game gap behind fourth-place KIA Tigers.

Notably, they achieved "five consecutive winning series" with a 10-5 record across their final five series of the first half, making this conclusion even more meaningful and fueling expectations for an even stronger second half amid their clear upward momentum.

After plummeting to ninth place last year, Doosan faced significant concerns due to multiple injuries among starting pitchers early in the season. Nevertheless, led by second-year pitcher Choi Min-seok, who showed remarkable improvement, they executed solid starting pitching and ultimately completed a flawless first half.

Although the game was suspended due to rain before the top of the fourth inning, making it difficult for Jacklog to manage his condition, he held opponents scoreless over five innings. The offense quickly supported him with back-to-back two-run home runs by Ahn Jae-seok and Kang Seung-ho, easing his burden. Following this, four relief pitchers delivered spotless, stingy pitching without allowing a single run, securing a clean victory for the home fans.

After the game, manager Kim Won-hyung praised Jacklog: "Although there were some early-game crises, he worked well with catcher Yang Eui-ji and overcame them effectively. He likely struggled to adjust his condition due to the rain delay, but he fulfilled his role sufficiently through the fifth inning."

He continued, "Two home runs in the batting lineup were decisive. Ahn Jae-seok hit a game-winning home run at perfect timing, while Kang Seung-ho delivered a home run that proved his recent upward momentum. Park Chan-ho, who has essentially played every game since opening day, not only showed stable defense but also contributed significantly on both offense and defense with two RBIs from a sacrifice fly."

It was a satisfying result. Before the game, manager Kim Won-hyung expressed his satisfaction: "Our five starting pitchers rotated without major injuries, allowing the entire pitching staff to find stability. Additionally, Lee Young-ha and (Kim) Taek-yeon returned from injury, and veterans like (Lee) Yong-chan provided strong leadership. We had many concerns about the first half, especially regarding pitching, but they performed well, leading to excellent results."

He added, "In the fielding unit, young players have continued to participate in games. While defensive metrics are slightly below expectations, they are less tense than at the start and are delivering better defense in crucial situations. We hope this trend continues into the second half."

They carried that hope through until the final game of the first half. Manager Kim stated, "Our players united tightly to achieve a winning series in the last game of the first half. We thank the fans for continuing to support us despite the harsh weather."

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*This content was translated by AI.