'Ace Collapse' Overcome with Gritty Baseball for Victory; Doosan Faces '2 Wins, 7 Losses' Wall of LG [Incheon Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ace pitcher Choi Min-seok was pulled early again, following his previous outing. However, the bullpen held firm, and the lineup showed late-game resilience. The Doosan Bears demonstrated sharp focus to achieve a winning series.

Under manager Kim Won-hyeong (54), Doosan defeated the SSG Landers 5-3 in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 30th.

Sitting fifth with a record of 50 wins, 45 losses, and 3 ties, Doosan remains one game ahead of fourth-place KIA Tigers.

Choi Min-seok, who had delivered top-tier pitching in the first half, faltered. After throwing six scoreless innings to start the second half, he suffered a loss against Samsung Lions on the 24th, allowing seven hits, four walks, and ten runs (four earned) in just two and two-thirds innings. On this day, he struggled from the early stages of the game, giving up six hits (including one home run), five walks, striking out four batters, and surrendering three runs over four and one-third innings.

Especially troubling was the early-game instability, which went beyond mere statistics. He created difficult situations for himself with walks. In the first inning, he faced a bases-loaded, no-out crisis but managed to escape thanks to a double play hit by Kim Jae-hwan.

The team benefited from strong defense and a bit of luck. In the second inning, with no outs and a runner on second base, Park Chan-ho threw to third base to catch a preceding runner when Han Yu-seom hit a ground ball toward shortstop. Later, after issuing another walk that loaded the bases with one out, Lee Ji-young singled to center field, but Jung Soobin made a home throw to eliminate the runner and prevent any runs from scoring. In the third inning, with one out and a runner on first base, first baseman Kang Seung-ho easily turned a double play on a ground ball hit by Choi Ji-hoon, providing further assistance.

Nevertheless, in the fifth inning, Park Sung-han singled, and Bryce Murillo hit a go-ahead two-run home run, leading to Choi's removal from the game. Although the bullpen had to be deployed starting in the fifth inning, relievers Lee Byung-hun (two-thirds of an inning), Kim Jeong-woo, and Kim Taek-yeon (each one inning) held strong consecutively.

With added strength on the mound, opportunities arose. After failing to score with a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the seventh inning via double plays and other means, Doosan rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Starting with a walk to Yuno Severino, they batted in five hits, scoring three runs to take a 5-3 lead.

During this process, manager Kim Won-hyeong's strategic substitutions proved highly effective. Players brought in as pinch hitters in the seventh inning played crucial roles in securing the win. Cho Su-haeng hit an infield single as a pinch hitter in the seventh, and Park Ji-hoon, who entered as a pinch runner for Kim In-tae after drawing a walk, followed with back-to-back hits in the eighth to advance runners and drive in a go-ahead run. After Severino walked to lead off the inning, pinch runner Kim Dae-bank of Korea Park Jun-soon hit a double, and through bold base-running, tied the game.

Following this, Lee Yong-chan (two-thirds of an inning), who recorded his 600th career appearance as the 33rd player in KBO history to reach that milestone, faced a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the bottom of the eighth. Closer Lee Young-ha entered quickly and cleanly closed out the game through the ninth inning.

After the game, manager Kim Won-hyeong stated, "Today, our bullpen delivered excellent pitching until the very end, allowing us to secure a comeback victory." He added, "Our starting pitcher left the mound early due to poor physical condition, but Lee Byung-hun, Kim Jeong-woo, Kim Taek-yeon, and Lee Yong-chan each fulfilled their roles. Especially important was closer Lee Young-ha, who took full responsibility for recording four outs with all-out effort."

He also praised the batters' focus in the eighth inning: "In the batter's box, Park Jun-soon hit a extra-base hit in the eighth that shifted the momentum of the game. With runners on first and third and one out, Kim Min-seok aggressively attacked the first pitch to deliver a crucial go-ahead RBI." He continued, "Following that, Ahn Jae-seok, Cho Su-haeng, and Park Ji-hoon hit consecutive singles, providing the additional runs our team desperately needed."

Doosan will now move to Jamsil to face the LG Twins. This season, LG has posted a dismal 2-7 record, showing overwhelming disadvantage. However, in the second half, they have struggled with a 3-9 record, their worst performance of the season. In contrast, Doosan, which had relied on its dominant starting pitching, managed to secure a valuable win even after its ace collapsed, thanks to strong bullpen support, excellent defense, and smart managerial tactics. Ahead of the series against their "arch-rival" LG, this victory is expected to boost confidence further.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.