Riding a four-game winning streak, the Doosan Bears will look to continue their momentum in Gwangju.
Doosan, led by head coach Lee Seung-yeop, will host the Kia Tigers of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on Friday for the 13th game of the season. The starting pitcher will be Brandon Waddell.
The day before, Doosan came from behind to win 3-2 at home against the SSG Landers. Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, leadoff hitter Yang Seok-hwan singled to pressure SSG reliever Seo Jin-yong, and pinch-runner Park Ji-hoon was thrown out at third on a sacrifice bunt by Lee Yoo-chan, who was batting in place of Kim Jae-hwan.
However, after Seo’s wild pitch, Kang Seung-ho’s grounder to shortstop with runners on first and second allowed Kim Tae-geun to score from third, closing the gap to one run. Not satisfied with the lead, Doosan loaded the bases after a walk by pinch-hitter Kim In-tae and a wild pitch by Park Kye-beom, and when Seo Jin-yong was hit by a pitch, third baseman Lee Yoo-chan scored to tie the game at 2-2. Heo Kyung-min, who had the important task of pinch-hitting for Cho, completed the four-game sweep with an RBI single that scored Kim In-tae from third base.
“It’s always good to win,” said Lee before the KIA game. “The opponent’s mistake created (the opportunity), so I thought, ‘Let’s at least tie the game no matter what.’ If the batter is Kim Jae-hwan (with runners on 1-2), it’s right to leave him in scoring position, but I wanted to put a runner on third base and rely on Kang Seung-ho behind the plate. I think it was a day of good fortune for our team, with a ground ball and a wild pitch,” Lee recalled the previous game.
“I saved it for last, and I was ready to use him (Heo) when he came to bat,” he said, adding, “It was the right time for him (to bat), and fortunately, he came back and did a great job as a captain.” He was applauded for his performance.
Heo Kyung-min was removed from the starting lineup on the 12th against the Jamsil Hanwha Eagles and again on the 14th against SSG due to a bruised right hand, but his condition has improved significantly. Manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “There was some bruising and swelling, but I heard that there is no problem at all now. In fact, I was able to start the day before, but I need to play in a completely good condition. I think he’s (fully recovered), so he’ll start normally.”토토사이트
He didn’t forget to mention Choi Ji-gang, who has been doing a great job out of the bullpen. In the SSG game on Thursday, Choi was the fourth pitcher after Choi Seung-yong (five innings, one run), Kim Myung-shin (one scoreless inning), and Hong Gun-hee (⅔ innings, one run) to pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings, setting the stage for the upset win. Since her call-up to the first team on March 27, she has been solid with one win in five games and 6⅓ innings. He hasn’t allowed an earned run.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “He did a great job. I think almost 90% of his pitches were changeups. Fortunately, it could have been Yang’s pitch mix, but Choi Ji-gang also has a very good fastball, so no matter who the batter is, if he throws his own pitches, he won’t be easily targeted. “Park Chi-guk was out, and we decided to give Kim Kang-ryul another day off, so Choi Ji-gang pitched well and allowed the players who weren’t feeling well to rest,” he said, praising the pitcher.
Meanwhile, Doosan, which will try to win its fifth straight game against Yoon, lined up as follows: Jung Soo-bin (center fielder), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Yang Seok-hwan (designated hitter), Yang Ji (catcher), Kim Jae-hwan (left fielder), Kang Seung-ho (first baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Park Kye-beom (second baseman), and Cho Su-hyun (right fielder). Jose Rojas, who hasn’t played all week due to COVID-19, is available as a pinch-hitter, according to Lee.