Doosan Holds Off Fifth Place! 'Playoff Wild Card Decider' at Jamsil Stadium: 'Number 3' Overcome, Choi Min-seok Reaches 14 Wins and Leads the Pack → Saves Team, Heads to 'AG' [Jamsil On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Doosan Bears defeated the NC Dinos in what is known as the 'Playoff Wild Card Decider,' concluding the weekend's two-game series with one win and one loss.

On the afternoon of the 13th, Doosan secured a 9-2 victory over NC in their regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With this win, Doosan avenged their 9-10 loss to NC the previous day (the 12th), splitting the two-game series with each team taking one victory.

Doosan finished with a record of 64 wins, 60 losses, and 4 ties, maintaining sole possession of fifth place in the league. Meanwhile, NC ended their winning streak at four games, finishing with 59 wins, 61 losses, and 2 ties, holding onto sixth place. The gap between Doosan and NC widened from two games to three games.

Additionally, thanks to this win, Doosan now holds the upper hand in head-to-head records against NC this season at 9 wins and 4 losses. Only three more matchups remain between the two teams for the rest of the season.

Doosan's starting pitcher Choi Min-seok delivered a strong performance over five innings (85 pitches total), allowing eight hits, no walks, four strikeouts, and two earned runs, securing his 14th win of the season. Park Chi-guk, Takada, Kim Taek-yeon, and Lee Young-ha followed in order, each pitching one scoreless inning. In the lineup that produced nine total hits, Yang Eui-ji contributed with a multi-hit performance including one home run. Kim Min-seok and Severino also each hit a home run.

NC's starting pitcher Toda struggled over 2⅔ innings, allowing six hits (two home runs), two walks, two strikeouts, and seven earned runs, taking on his 10th loss of the season. Lee Jun-hyeok (1⅓ innings), Ryu Jin-wook (one inning, one run allowed), Kim Tae-hoon (two innings), and Kim Joon-won (one inning, one run allowed) followed in order. In the lineup that produced ten total hits, Kim Hwi-jip, Park Geon-woo, and Cheon Jae-hwan recorded multi-hit performances.

For this game, Doosan set its starting lineup as follows: Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Jo Su-haeng (right fielder), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Severino (designated hitter), Kang Seung-ho (first baseman), Ahn Jae-seok (third baseman), and Jung Soobin (center fielder). Choi Min-seok was the starting pitcher.

Before the game, Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung told reporters, "We wanted to build a significant lead before the Asian Games, but we couldn't. Coincidentally, the timing of the Asian Games has put us in a chasing position. Since we've been at rock bottom for the last 10 games, I think we should positively consider that this is the moment for the players to rally and climb back up. We aim to create a positive atmosphere within the team and endure with smiles while promising strong performance."

NC set its starting lineup as follows: Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Blaine (first baseman), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Park Geon-woo (designated hitter), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), Park Si-won (right fielder), and Choi Jeong-won (center fielder). Natsuki Toda was the starting pitcher.

Before the game, NC manager Lee Ho-jun expressed his expectations: "The atmosphere is building up, just like during our nine-game winning streak at the end of last season. Even when we're losing, there's more conversation among players both inside and outside the dugout. Previously, everyone was quiet, but now it seems lively. Whenever I see that kind of energy, the team feels in good spirits."

Doosan took control early by scoring four runs in the second inning and three in the third. In the bottom of the second, Yang Eui-ji led off with a single to left field, advancing to second base on Kim Min-seok's walk. After one out, Kang Seung-ho drew a walk to load the bases. Ahn Jae-seok then followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in a run.

Continuing the rally, Jung Soobin hit a two-run double down the right-field line, extending the lead to 3-0. The inning wasn't over yet. Park Chan-ho then singled up the middle, scoring another run and making it 4-0.

In the bottom of the third, Doosan added three more runs with two powerful hits. Jo Su-haeng led off with a hit to center-left field. After two outs, Kim Min-seok launched a two-run home run over the right-field fence, pushing the score to 6-0. Severino then followed with a solo home run to left-center after a full-count battle lasting up to 11 pitches, adding another run.

NC began their comeback in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, they showed sharp focus. Kim Hwi-jip singled up the middle and scored on Park Geon-woo's RBI triple to center-left field. An Jung-yeol then hit a single up the middle, bringing Park Geon-woo home as well. The score became 7-2.

Doosan added another big hit in the bottom of the fifth inning. Yang Eui-ji was the hero. With no runners on base and two outs, he hit a solo home run over the left-center field fence after fouling off pitches in a full-count battle, finally hitting Ryu Jin-wook's 148 km/h fastball down the middle on the sixth pitch. Doosan sealed the 9-2 victory with an RBI single by substitute hitter Son Ah-seop in the eighth inning.

After the game, 'winning' manager Kim said, "In a game where taking the lead early is crucial, Ahn Jae-seok overcame an unfavorable count in the second inning and hit a sacrifice fly. In subsequent opportunities, Jung Soobin and Park Chan-ho demonstrated clutch abilities. The three home runs were also decisive. Kim Min-seok, Severino, and Yang Eui-ji all hit home runs, lightening the burden on the pitchers." He added, "Starting pitcher Choi Min-seok fulfilled his role in his final appearance before the Asian Games. The relief pitchers have been throwing with full effort regardless of the score difference, and they seem to understand the importance of each game well. As a manager, I am grateful for their efforts."

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*This content was translated by AI.