I had never seen a cut like that before.

Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man expressed his surprise at the relentless performance of lead-off hitter and captain Koo Ja-wook during a recap of the game against the Lotte Giants, which was scheduled to take place on the 16th at Sajik Stadium in Busan.

Samsung had been unable to escape the pit of eight consecutive losses until last week. However, they succeeded in bouncing back by finishing the three-game series against the KT Wiz in Pohang, the "promised land," with two wins and one loss. In particular, they secured a resounding 13-0 victory in the game on the 15th.

Manager Park Jin-man noted, "I can’t really remember the last time we scored such a large margin. It seems there haven’t been games like this in a month," and he laughed awkwardly. "Still, it seems there is good energy in Pohang. The players must have had a tough time during the losing streak, but winning the series may help them regain some composure."

During the series, Koo Ja-wook, who served as lead-off hitter and captain, stood out. Especially in the third inning of the game the previous day, with one out and a runner on first, Koo battled it out with KT's starting pitcher Ko Young-pyo. He engaged in a staggering 13-pitch at-bat, which was nerve-wracking. After watching the first pitch strike, he fouled off seven consecutive pitches from the second to the eighth. He didn’t discriminate among pitches, facing two-seam fastballs, change-ups, and cutters. After choosing two balls, Koo continued his foul streak but ultimately struck out swinging at a 132 km/h two-seam pitch after the lengthy 13-pitch duel.

Although he was unable to produce results and no runs were scored in that inning, it was a moment where Koo's determination was evident. Additionally, in his first at-bat in the first inning, he showed his speed by turning a single into a double as he sprinted to second base. Throughout the three-game series, he served as lead-off hitter, and in the game on the 15th, he recorded a multi-hit game with two hits and two runs in four at-bats.

Manager Park Jin-man laughed as he said, "I don't think I've seen someone cut like that before, fighting it out for over 10 pitches. It seems I’m seeing that kind of cut for the first time."

He further stated, "By showing such a performance, it might elevate the batting pace. Getting a hit off a mis-hit and making base-running plays can help with balance," and added, "Watching yesterday's performance made me feel hopeful that (Koo Ja-wook) will recover gradually." For the time being, he plans to continue as the lead-off hitter to improve his batting sense.

Meanwhile, with the game on the 16th canceled, Samsung will, like Lotte, have to play back-to-back doubleheaders for two consecutive weeks. Danny Reyes will start in the first game on the 17th, while Choi Won-tae will pitch in the second.

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