Can Samsung win? I asked 'KS Champion Experience Completed' directly! "I am working hard → It is something I must do"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I am working hard. It is something I must do."

Kim Jae-yoon (36), the 'closer' for Samsung Lions who reached the Korean Series throne as a closer for KT Wiz in the 2021 season, revealed his honest feelings about chasing the championship. This was the firm remark of a veteran closer made after saving his team from a crisis of defeat with an all-out effort over 2⅔ scoreless innings and then meeting with reporters.

On the 23rd, Samsung secured a 3-1 victory in a fierce extra-inning battle against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome located in Guro-gu, Seoul, extending to the 11th inning, achieving a winning series on the road at Gocheok.

The number one hero of today's victory was undoubtedly Kim Jae-yoon. Kim Jae-yoon made an emergency appearance in a life-or-death situation in the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied 1-1, one out, and bases loaded. It was a desperate moment where a single hit or sacrifice fly would end the game. Kim Jae-yoon, who said he climbed onto the mound thinking "How can I stop this?", got a sigh of relief by inducing a shallow center field fly ball from Choi Ju-hwan with a forkball. He then induced an infield fly ball from Davison, who had hit a solo home run to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning earlier, using a high fastball, saving his team from the brink of defeat. He pulled the team into extra innings right before the point of defeat.

Kim Jae-yoon continued to be responsible through the 11th inning, pitching 2⅔ scoreless innings. This is a personal record for the most innings in a single game since joining Samsung ahead of the 2024 season and was a perfect outing to completely shake off the pain of a blown save (⅓ inning, 3 earned runs) against Daegu Lotte on the 19th. Kim Jae-yoon's career-high innings with KT were 3⅓ innings in an away game against Hanwha Eagles on May 21, 2016. Thanks to Kim Jae-yoon's stability, Samsung completed the victory with Lee Jae-hyun's go-ahead sacrifice fly RBI in the top of the 11th and Young-woong's clutch RBI single.

After the game, when asked about the crisis situation by reporters, Kim Jae-yoon said, "(Choi) Ju-hwan is strong against me, so I tried not to throw a mistake pitch. I tried to throw hard and accurately. Davison is an aggressive hitter, so I went for a high fastball, and it seems luck was on my side." He also smiled, adding, "Before my appearance in the bottom of the 11th, the coach asked about my condition, and since I thought I still had energy, I said I would keep going."

Today also continued Kim Jae-yoon's extreme 'strong performance on the road'. In this season, Kim Jae-yoon has 3 wins, no losses, 10 saves, and an ERA of 0 in 18 away games including the game on the 23rd. On the other hand, at his home stadium, Daegu Samsung Lions Park, he is not doing well with 27 games, 2 wins, 4 losses, 14 saves, and an ERA of 5.33. The batting average against is in the low single digits for both, but walks tend to be somewhat higher at the home stadium.

When asked about this, Kim Jae-yoon said, "I am not conscious of it, but it is strange that the results came out like this," and added, "Manager Park Jin-man encouraged me by saying, 'All pitchers find it difficult at Lions Park, so don't worry about it,' which gave me great strength."

He did not forget the mental struggle right after the blown save or his apology to today's starter Yang Chang-seop. Kim Jae-yoon said, "It is hard for a while after a blown save, but I am trying to find my normal pace quickly by joking with teammates," and added, "(Yang) Chang-seop really pitched well today, so I will make sure to meet one more victory condition next time."

The veteran closer who holds the 2021 Korean Series championship ring already has his eyes on a higher goal. When asked about Samsung's possibility of winning the regular season this season, Kim Jae-yoon did not dodge the answer and showed his will and confidence by saying, "I am working hard. It is something I must do."

Kim Jae-yoon saved his team with an all-out effort of 2⅔ innings and 29 pitches and solidified his resolve to win the championship. At the end of the interview, when asked if he would rest tomorrow, he smiled brightly and said, "I hope they will let me rest," before leaving Gocheok Dome.

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*This content was translated by AI.