*This content was translated by AI.
Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) showered foreign hitter Lewin Diaz with unreserved praise for his explosive hitting. He also expressed gratitude and concern for starting pitcher Chris Fedek, who achieved a quality start (QS) despite being struck by a dangerous line drive.
On the 11th, Samsung defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 6-4 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' matchup. The victory was powered by Diaz's one-man show, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs, and Fedek's resilient performance while injured. With this win, Samsung completed a perfect sweep of all home games against Kiwoom this season.
On the mound, starting pitcher Fedek's fighting spirit shone brightly. In the bottom of the fourth inning with no outs and runners on first and third, Fedek was struck squarely in the body by Kim Dong-heon's hard-hit ball, creating a tense situation. Immediately after the ball hit the pitcher and resulted in an out via a third baseman's grounder, trainers rushed onto the mound to closely examine Fedek's condition. Despite showing signs of significant pain, Fedek continued pitching without being replaced and managed to finish the fourth inning before holding the mound through the sixth. Allowing nine hits while striking out five and giving up three earned runs over six innings, Fedek secured his fifth win (two losses) of the season with a quality start.
In the lineup, Diaz completely dominated the game. In the bottom of the first inning, with Samsung leading 1-0 and one out with runners on first and third, he launched a towering three-run home run over the center-left field fence, traveling 120 meters (his 22nd of the season), taking early control of the game. When Kiwoom closed the gap to 3-4 in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, Diaz hit another solo home run over the right-field fence (his 23rd of the season), regaining momentum. In the bottom of the eighth with a precarious 5-3 lead and two outs with a runner on second, he delivered a crucial one-run double off the wall to seal the victory. He led the team's offense alone with three hits in three at-bats, including two home runs, driving in five runs.
Samsung brought in relief pitchers starting from the seventh inning. Left-handed relievers Lee Seung-min and Kim Tae-hoon recorded consecutive scoreless holds. Closer Kim Jae-yun surrendered one solo home run in the ninth but closed out the game without allowing any additional runs, earning his 32nd save of the season.
After the game, manager Park Jin-man said, "Starting pitcher Fedek was not feeling well after being hit by a batted ball, yet he pitched effectively through six innings and secured a quality start, which led to our victory," first praising Fedek's resilient performance while injured. He continued, "All three relief pitchers also held the line well," commending the bullpen's relay pitching effort.
Regarding the lineup, he added with a broad smile, "Choi Hyung-woo contributed with an early go-ahead RBI in the first inning, and it was a game where Diaz handled everything so thoroughly that one could call it 'Diaz's Day.'"
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*This content was translated by AI.
