The new closer of the Samsung Lions, Lee Ho-seong, expressed his feelings after recording his first save in his debut.
Taking on the closing role in place of Kim Jae-yoon, he stepped onto the mound in the 9th inning of the game against the KT Wiz on the 13th, leading 5-2.
Lee Ho-seong, who allowed a walk on a full count against the first batter, Cheon Seong-ho, managed to take a sigh of relief by getting the pinch hitter, Jang Jin-hyuk, to pop out to left field. Soon after, he permitted a double to Mel Rojas Jr. to face a crisis with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Pitching coach Park Seok-jin came to the mound to encourage Lee Ho-seong.
Lee Ho-seong allowed a run with a sacrifice fly to right field from Hwang Jae-kyun. In a continued situation with 2 outs and runners on 3rd base, he induced a ground ball from Kim Min-hyeok to secure the team's victory. The Samsung Lions defeated the KT Wiz 5-3, breaking an 8-game losing streak since their match against the Doosan Bears on the 3rd.
Starting pitcher Lee Seung-hyeon (No. 57) reported his first win of the season late, pitching 5 innings with 5 hits allowed, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, and no earned runs. Go Ja-wook produced a 2-run single in a bases-loaded situation in the 2nd inning, while Lewin Diaz launched a two-run homer that added to the lead. Ryu Ji-hyeok not only had 1 hit and scored 2 runs but also made a great defensive play in the 1st inning to eliminate a crisis with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 3rd.
After recording his first save, Lee Ho-seong noted, "Honestly, it's not a big situation, but when I came in as the last pitcher in the 9th, I definitely felt nervous. It feels much more exhilarating and fun to finish and come down."
When asked what Coach Park Seok-jin said in the 1 out, 2nd and 3rd bases situation, he replied, "He told me not to give up a big hit and that it was okay to allow a score, so let’s try to get a single at best. Since a closer’s job is to secure the win, he advised me to control my height well to avoid allowing a long hit."
Amidst an 8-game losing streak, he secured the team’s victory and remarked, "I tried not to think about it, but I felt pressured. I'm glad to have started off well. Go Ja-wook hyung took care of the ball from my first save."
Captain Go Ja-wook congratulated, "Lee Ho-seong really trained hard during the winter. His body has improved a lot, and his pitches are really good. So I thought he would do well. He has taken on the closing role, and I hope he makes it his own. This is just the beginning, so I hope he works even harder."
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