Professional baseball player Park Se-woong (30) of the Lotte Giants has a long-standing jinx. Whenever he travels to Daejeon, he has struggled with games.

Until last year, he made a total of 10 starts in Daejeon but without a win, suffering 8 losses and ending with a 9.00 earned run average. He had 2 quality starts, but neither led to a victory. His opponent batting average was .356 and his opponent OPS reached 1.049, indicating a significant collapse. As a right-handed starter representing the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League, he struggled remarkably whenever he went to Daejeon.

To avoid traveling to Daejeon, the starting rotation order was adjusted. However, when manager Kim Tae-hyoung came last year, the policy changed. There was no need to unnecessarily alter the starting order just because it was Daejeon. Park Se-woong was also named as the starter for the game against Hanwha on the 23rd in Daejeon.

In fact, it could have been avoided. There are many baseball people sensitive to jinxes, and if something feels off at all, avoiding it might be the best course of action. Originally, Park Se-woong was supposed to pitch against LG on the 22nd according to the rotation, but he took an extra day of rest and made his debut as the starting pitcher against Hanwha in Daejeon on that day.

Manager Kim Tae-hyoung noted in an interview before the game on the 23rd regarding Park Se-woong's pitching schedule, "I didn't think about adjusting the rotation. I've never done that as a manager," and added, "It was originally a date to pitch against LG, but he had some fatigue from the previous game (on the 11th against KT in Suwon with 6⅓ innings and 102 pitches). I thought it would be better to postpone it by one game."

Additionally, manager Kim Tae-hyoung stated, "There’s no need to avoid Daejeon (for pitching). From what I saw in the past, it was absurd to pitch to avoid Hanwha. The rotation should operate (normally)." Adjusting the starting date based on the opposing team is not part of Kim Tae-hyoung's baseball style. A homegrown ace shouldn't be selective about teams and locations.

Amid manager Kim's strong message, Park Se-woong made a bold confrontation. Although it was still Daejeon, the baseball stadium had changed. He made his first appearance on the mound at the newly built Hanwha Life Eagles Park, next to the old stadium used until last year. It was an opportunity to break free from the Daejeon jinx in a new atmosphere.

Park Se-woong, who allowed only 2 hits and no runs through the 4th inning, however, permitted hits to Lee Jin-young and Lee Jae-won in the 5th inning, then allowed a 1-RBI game-tying hit to Ha Ju-suk with one out and runners on first and second base. Following that, he walked Choi In-ho, giving up a run as the bases were loaded with one out after Estevan Florial’s hit. It was disappointing that 3 out of the 4 hits allowed in the 5th inning were from pitches thrown in favorable counts, having caught a strike on the first pitch.

Afterward, Moon Hyun-bin's well-hit ball went straight to the second baseman, resulting in a 4-6-3 double play that ended the inning. Although he overcame a crisis of multiple runs in the 5th inning, an error in the 6th inning led to additional runs. After a throwing error by third baseman Son Ho-young, Park Se-woong threw a hit-by-pitch for Chae Eun-seong, putting runners on base. With one out and runners on first and third, while handling a ground ball hit by Hwang Young-mook in front of the pitcher, the runner on third base, Roh Si-hwan, unexpectedly dashed home, allowing one run.

In the 7th inning, Park Se-woong, who returned to the mound, gave Lee Jae-won a walk but struck out Ha Ju-suk swinging. However, he allowed a double to Estevan Florial in front of the center fielder. Jang Du-seong attempted a diving catch but missed, and in a situation with one out and runners on second and third, Park Se-woong exited the game. Relief pitcher Song Jae-young managed Choi In-ho with a ground ball to third base, allowing the runner on third to score, making Park Se-woong's earned runs total 4.

Even though Lotte lost 2-4, Park Se-woong suffered his second loss of the season (with 8 wins), but he achieved a quality start by pitching 6⅓ innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch, and striking out 3 while giving up 4 earned runs (3 of which were earned). With a total pitch count of 98, his maximum speed reached 150 km/h, and his average was 148 km/h with 35 fastballs, alongside sliders (42), forkballs (18), and curves (3). While the pitches after the 5th inning were disappointing, he met the baseline as a starter. It was a sign that he might break free from the jinx without collapsing in his first appearance at the new Daejeon stadium.

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