"As expected! Confirmed his strong side" — The left-handed pitcher who received Samsung's commander's unusual reprimand repaid it in this way... It was essentially a targeted appearance.

*This content was translated by AI.

Left-hander Lee Seung-hyun (24), who has historically been particularly strong against LG Twins, fully proved his matchup advantage. He performed his assigned starting role well, making Samsung's bench calculated strategic move look like a clear success.

On the 5th, Lee Seung-hyun started in an away game against LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, throwing 82 pitches over 5 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5 batters without surrendering a run. Even amid a tense pitching duel with LG's Tollhurst (6 scoreless innings), Lee delivered steady pitching that did not yield an inch, providing crucial support to a team desperate to break its losing streak.

In fact, Lee Seung-hyun's strong performance on this day was even more remarkable. On April 8 in Gwangju against KIA, he started and endured a painful outing, allowing 11 hits and issuing 8 walks over just 2⅔ innings — essentially self-destructing. At the time, manager Park Jin-man criticized him, stating, "He lacked the sense of responsibility expected of a starting pitcher," emphasizing the weight carried by starters who receive relatively 'royal treatment' compared to relievers. He was then sent down to the minor league without any guarantee of an immediate return to the first division — an unusual reprimand from the team's commander.

Having risen above that painful trial and sharpened his skills, Lee Seung-hyun regained opportunities with the first-division squad in July under the manager's trust. Although he alternated between relief and starting roles after being added to the 1st division roster, the team specifically called him up again to face LG — a team he had historically dominated. In his career, including the result of the game on the 5th, Lee has appeared in 27 games against LG (6 starts), posting a record of 3 wins, 4 losses, and 1 hold with an ERA of 4.42 — better than his overall career ERA of 4.99. Notably, his batting average against LG batters stands at just 0.226 across his career. This was essentially a targeted appearance.

Lee Seung-hyun repaid that trust with flawless pitching. Leading with a two-seam fastball clocked at up to 146 km/h and mixing in curveballs and sliders, he completely disrupted the timing of LG's left-handed hitters. After striking out leadoff batter Shin Min-jae in the bottom of the first inning, he started with a strikeout and a foul pop-up but remained composed, turning the next three batters into routine groundouts. Despite allowing baserunners in every inning — including a three-up, three-down frame in the fourth — his unwavering focus allowed him to surrender not a single run.

However, Lee Seung-hyun's scoreless outing was somewhat overshadowed by bullpen struggles. Since being called up to the first division in July, he had primarily served as a long reliever, with his highest pitch count reaching only 74 pitches — so he came off the mound earlier than usual. The baton was passed to Im Ki-young, who failed to record a single out and immediately created a bases-loaded, no-out crisis. Later, when reliever Bae Chan-seung induced an outfield fly ball, a right fielder's misjudgment allowed a two-run, go-ahead hit, handing the lead away as the score turned 0-3. It was a moment that deeply highlighted Lee Seung-hyun's absence after his perfect five-inning responsibility. Yet thanks to Lee's even contest against Tollhurst, Samsung managed to score three runs in the top of the seventh and kept the game tight. Kang Min-ho delivered a go-ahead, two-run hit in the top of the 11th inning to seal the victory. With this win, Samsung pushed past KT Wiz and reclaimed sole possession of first place.

Lee Seung-hyun's pitching, which overcame past pain and successfully fulfilled the mission assigned by the bench, certainly left a deep impression. After the game, manager Park Jin-man stated, "Starting pitcher Lee Seung-hyun once again confirmed his strong performance against LG. By holding them scoreless for five perfect innings, he laid an excellent foundation to enter the middle-game battle," effectively acknowledging the targeted nature of his appearance. Having fully revived by drawing strength from the painful reprimand from the commander in the past, Lee Seung-hyun has firmly established himself as a key card on Samsung's mound for the final stretch of this season and the postseason.

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*This content was translated by AI.