'Leading team defense' Park Jin-man also smiled! "Yang Chang-seop's second-half ace pitching → bullpen was perfect, two home throws were decisive"

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jin-man (50), Samsung Lions manager, gave a thumbs-up to his team after securing a victory in the crucial first game of the second half, which determined whether they would maintain their lead.

On the 16th, Samsung defeated Lotte Giants 4-1 in the first game of the second half of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. The win was built on strong starting pitching by Yang Chang-seop, a scoreless relief performance by the bullpen, and a decisive solo home run by Kim Young-woong in the eighth inning. With this victory, Samsung extended their winning streak to two games and firmly held onto first place, pushing LG Twins—who lost to KT Wiz—down by one game.

After the game, manager Park Jin-man shared his thoughts with a bright expression. He first praised Yang Chang-seop, who secured the mound with five innings and only one run allowed. "Starting pitcher Yang Chang-seop shed the pressure and delivered excellent pitching befitting an ace in the second half," said Park, applauding Yang for perfectly fulfilling his role as the team's ace. He also commended the bullpen, which executed a flawless scoreless relay featuring Lee Seung-hyun, Lee Seung-min, Kim Tae-hoon, and Kim Jae-yun. "Every reliever today was perfect," Park stated, expressing deep trust in the bullpen's reliability.

Fielders' focus and defensive skills also shone brightly. In the lineup, Diaz hit a tying home run in the first inning, followed by Ryu Ji-hyuk and Kim Ji-chan stepping up as key contributors whenever needed. "We started with an early deficit, but Diaz quickly tied the game, and then Ryu Ji-hyuk and Kim Ji-chan added runs at the right time," Park said with satisfaction. "Kim Young-woong's solo home run in the eighth inning proved to be the decisive blow."

Especially highlighted by manager Park as a hidden hero of the win was defense. Two critical home throws stopped opposing runners from scoring: one in the bottom of the third inning when Hwang Seong-bin attempted to score on Go Seung-min's hit, and another in the bottom of the fifth after Han Dong-hee's infield single. These two defensive plays completely halted the opponent's momentum. Manager Park Jin-man praised the fielders' sharp focus: "Most importantly, the two home throws by Kim Sung-yoon in the third inning and Diaz in the fifth were decisive. They threw with exceptional accuracy."

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*This content was translated by AI.