“It was a game where you could feel the determination of everyone at Doosan to end the losing streak.”
Doosan snapped a three-game losing streak. Veteran infielder Kim Jae-ho, who came on as a pinch-hitter in a tight game that went into extra innings, delivered the game-winning hit.
Doosan won 4-1 against NC in the 2024 KBO League at NC Park in Changwon on Thursday, thanks to Kim Jae-ho’s game-winning hit in the top of the 10th inning of extra innings and Kim Ki-yeon’s RBI single.
It was Doosan that broke the tense ‘0’ balance. Doosan’s Lee Yoo-chan was quick on his feet. With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Lee hit a double down the left field line. When Cho Sung-yueng came to bat, Lee tried to steal third base and came home on an NC throwing error.
In the top of the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop was ejected for protesting the video review. With the bases loaded, Lee Yoo-chan drew a walk and stole second base on a pinch-hit at-bat. When the second base umpire called Safe, NC requested a video review. The safe was overturned as an out.
Lee then came out onto the field and protested something to the umpire. “Lee protested that NC shortstop Kim Joo-won interfered with Lee’s base running when he stole,” a Doosan official explained. However, stealing a base is not subject to video review.
According to the rule that protesting the video review will result in an ejection, Lee was eventually sent home. This is the second ejection of Lee’s career, following his ejection against Jamsil LG on July 29, 2023.
Doosan allowed NC to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, forcing the game into extra innings. Tied 1-1 in the top of the 10th inning, Doosan’s bats came alive. Yang Ji Yang and Suk-hwan Yang singled to put runners on first and third base. Pinch-hitter Kim Jae-ho delivered the game-winning hit with a single. With the momentum in their favor, Kim Ki-yeon and Jeon Min-jae hit back-to-back doubles to make it 4-1.
Doosan’s bullpen also held the NC bats to one run to secure the win. Starting pitcher Choi Jun-ho pitched five innings of two-hit, two-run ball with one strikeout, before 토토 the bullpen of Choi Ji-kang, Kim Taek-yeon, Lee Byung-heon, Kim Kang-ryul, Hong Gun-hee, and Lee Young-ha secured the win. Hong Gun-hee earned his first save of the season, while Lee Young-ha picked up his first save of the season.
“It was an invaluable victory that everyone, from the field to the pitching staff, from the oldest to the youngest, made together,” Lee said after the game, adding, “I could feel the will of all the Doosan Bears to end the losing streak.”
“Starting with starting pitcher Choi Joon-ho and ending with Lee Young-ha, who recorded his first save in a long time, the pitching staff struggled,” he said. “Among the batters, Lee Yoo-chan’s performance was significant, as he hit a double in the seventh inning after a nine-pitch at-bat and quickly drove in the go-ahead run with a single. Yang Ji-ji, Yang Seok-hwan, and Kim Jae-ho’s roles in the tense extra innings were crucial,” he applauded. “We are very grateful to our fans for their support in our first midweek game.”
