Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man expressed his thoughts on the team's six-game winning streak.
Samsung won 4-2 against the LG Twins in an away game held at Jamsil Stadium on the 31st, led by starting pitcher Won Tae-in's stellar performance.
Samsung's starting lineup included center fielder Kim Ji-chan, shortstop Lee Jae-hyun, left fielder Koo Ja-wook, designated hitter Lewin Diaz, catcher Kang Min-ho, first baseman Ryu Ji-hyeok, right fielder Park Seung-kyu, third baseman Kim Young-woong, and second baseman Yang Do-geun.
Samsung scored three runs in the second inning. After one out, Kang Min-ho reached base with a single to right. Ryu Ji-hyeok's infield hit put runners on first and second. Park Seung-kyu hit a single to center, bringing home the runner from second, Kang Min-ho. It was 1-0. Ryu Ji-hyeok advanced to third but was caught in a rundown. Meanwhile, Park Seung-kyu reached second. Kim Young-woong added another run with an infield hit. Yang Do-geun's single to center increased the runners on base to two. Kim Ji-chan recorded the third run with a timely hit.
LG, attempting to fight back, saw leadoff hitter Park Dong-won hit a double to left-center in the bottom of the second inning. Oh Ji-hwan hit a ground ball to first base for an out, but Park Dong-won advanced to third. Moon Sung-ju's sacrifice fly to center allowed LG to score one run. Samsung, needing additional runs, seized a chance in the sixth with a walk from designated hitter Lewin Diaz and a hit from Park Seung-kyu to create a two-out situation with runners on first and third. Kim Young-woong drove in one more run with a timely hit to left-center.
Samsung's starting pitcher Won Tae-in earned his fourth win of the season with five innings pitched, allowing five hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and two earned runs. His total pitch count was 91, with a top speed of 151 km/h, mixing fastballs, curves, sliders, and change-ups.
From the sixth inning onward, Kim Jae-yoon (two innings), Kim Tae-hoon, and Baek Jung-hyun (one inning each) collaborated for scoreless innings. Notably, Baek Jung-hyun recorded a save for the first time in 2,580 days since May 8, 2018, against the Suwon KT Wiz. Park Seung-kyu completed his debut with four hits, while Kim Young-woong added two hits and two RBI.
Manager Park Jin-man noted after the game, "Starting pitcher Won Tae-in did his part well. The three veteran pitchers in the bullpen all pitched scoreless, showing solid performance and stability."
He added, "It was nice to see Park Seung-kyu, who made a defensive error yesterday, hitting a lot and running hard today. Overall, the contributions from the lower batting order stood out."
He further praised the infielders, saying, "It was a game where Lee Jae-hyun, Yang Do-geun, Ryu Ji-hyeok, and the infielders made the pitchers comfortable."
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