Baek Jeong-hyun is an indispensable presence in the Samsung Lions' bullpen.

Until last year, Baek Jeong-hyun was part of the starting rotation, but this season he has transformed into a relief pitcher. As of the 24th, he has taken the mound 24 times, recording 2 wins, 2 holds, and an earned run average of 1.95. His control is as precise as if measured with a ruler, along with excellent pace management. He is the most trusted asset on the Samsung bench.

Park Jin-man, who expressed Baek Jeong-hyun as "our bullpen's hidden card," noted, "Since switching from starting to bullpen, he has been able to fully utilize his performance while pitching short outings."

Baek Jeong-hyun said, "I have been preparing for the middle innings since the end of last year, so I have been getting ready accordingly. I am adjusting well," adding, "I thought I would pitch longer periods, but it seems I am getting into games more frequently than I expected. The training staff is managing me well."

There is another left-handed pitcher in the Samsung bullpen who is similar to Baek Jeong-hyun. At this point, it wouldn’t be wrong to call him Baek Jeong-hyun's mini-me. Lee Seung-min is the main subject. Until last year, he was fluctuating between the first and second teams, but this season he has established himself as a key pitcher on the first team.

Having played as an alternative starter, he also has the advantage of being able to handle multiple innings. Park Jin-man expressed satisfaction, saying, "Lee Seung-min has been doing well in his recent role. Both his stuff and control have improved, and his ability to respond to opposing batters has also enhanced."

On the 24th against the Daegu KIA Tigers, Lee Seung-min's perfect performance stood out. After starting pitcher Lee Seung-hyun (No. 57), he took the mound as the second pitcher in the 5th inning with the score tied at 3-3 and held off without allowing any runs over 2 innings.

After giving up an infield hit to the first batter, Kim Do-young, Lee Seung-min recorded an out against Choi Hyung-woo with a fly ball to the outfield, followed by striking out Lee Woo-sung and Byeon Woo-hyeok consecutively. He firmly held back Oh Seon-woo (groundout to first base), Han Joon-soo (swinging strikeout), and Kim Ho-ryeong (swinging strikeout) in the 6th inning. Lee Seung-min handed over the baton to Kim Tae-hoon in the 7th.

Samsung overcame the adversity of a rain delay to defeat KIA 8-4. Park Jin-man stated, "I believe it was thanks to the players not giving up and striving until the end." He added, "In the difficult situation, Lee Seung-min fulfilled his role well, and Lee Ho-sung's solid finishing allowed us to win the game."

Lee Seung-min revealed through the team’s official YouTube channel, "In a tie situation, I tried to avoid giving up runs as much as possible, which led to a good result. There was a risk of walking batters, but thankfully that didn’t happen. (Due to the rain) the mound was a bit slippery, but I adapted quickly, and it was fine."

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