'Allowing the walk-off hit' — Kim Won-hyung defends Lee Yong-chan: "Not a mistake; Jang Jin-hyeok hit it well → Closer Lee Young-ha..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyung (54) strongly defended veteran pitcher Lee Yong-chan (37), who allowed a walk-off home run in extra innings during the away game against KT Wiz on the previous day (27th).

In the away match against KT at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 27th, Doosan found itself tied 4-4 heading into the bottom of the 11th inning. Jang Jin-hyeok, leading off the frame, connected with Lee Yong-chan's fifth pitch — a 146 km/h fastball — for a walk-off solo home run over the right-field wall, handing Doosan a heartbreaking loss. It was Jang's first career walk-off home run and also erased Samsung Lions' chance to climb to first place. With a 3-ball-1-strike count, Jang cleanly drove the pitch in the middle of the plate, leading to Doosan's second consecutive defeat.

On the following day (28th), ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, manager Kim Won-hyung met with reporters and addressed StarNews' question about Lee Yong-chan's home run allowed. "Rather than debating whether it was a mistake or not," Kim stated firmly, "Jang Jin-hyeok simply hit it well."

Continuing, the manager added, "It was the bottom of the 11th inning with no further innings remaining. Even though the count became unfavorable, as the leadoff batter, we couldn't afford a walk — we had to throw a strike." He then praised Lee Yong-chan: "From Lee's perspective, he threw his best pitch, and it's only natural that the opposing hitter didn't miss it and made solid contact."

Kim also shared behind-the-scenes details about pitching strategy in extra innings. "If Doosan had taken the lead in the top of the 11th," he explained, "we would have prepared to bring in closer Lee Young-ha." He reiterated that they were ready for Lee Young-ha to pitch on three consecutive days if necessary.

The manager also expressed firm trust in Lee Young-ha, who had blown a save in the game on the 26th alongside an error. "Lee Young-ha must have felt frustrated and disappointed after blowing the save and dealing with an error," Kim said. "I told him, 'You should not have allowed that situation to happen.' However, Lee Young-ha is a pitcher who can prevent such situations and handle them on his own — and he's also a player capable of accepting responsibility — so I spoke to him that way."

Finally, the manager urged mental recovery across the entire team. "As long as you play baseball, walks and errors cannot be eliminated," Kim said. "But players must not let errors make them afraid to even step onto the field. Even if players feel sorry deep down, they need to be a bit more bold and confident on the field, play their game, and overcome crises."

Meanwhile, in today's game, Doosan faced Kiwoom starter An Woo-jin with the following lineup: Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Ahn Jae-seok (third baseman), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yang Eui-ji (designated hitter), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Severino (first baseman), Jung Soobin (center fielder), Kim Daehun (right fielder), and Yoon Joon-ho (catcher). Starting pitcher was Park Shin-ji. According to manager Kim Won-hyung, Park Shin-ji is expected to pitch around 3–4 innings with a maximum of approximately 65 pitches.

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*This content was translated by AI.