The 'living legend' of the Samsung Lions, Oh Seung-hwan, showcased a scoreless performance while completing his first multi-inning appearance on the Futures stage.
Oh Seung-hwan pitched well in the away game against the NC Dinos at Changwon Masan Stadium on the 31st, going scoreless for 2 innings (1 hit, no walks, 2 strikeouts).
On that day, Oh Seung-hwan threw 30 pitches, reaching a top speed of 145 km/h while mixing in curveballs, sliders, and forkballs.
Leading 7-4 in the 6th inning, Oh Seung-hwan came in as the second pitcher following starter Jung Min-seong and struck out Han Jae-hwan and Choi Bo-seong consecutively, before handling Kim Tae-ho with a pop-up.
In the 7th inning, Oh Seung-hwan easily got Jeong Hyun-chang and Kim Se-hoon out, but after two outs, he allowed a hit to Go Seung-wan. He finished the inning by getting Kim Beom-jun out with a fly ball to right field. Oh Seung-hwan was replaced by Yuk Seon-yeop in the 8th.
Oh Seung-hwan has made 726 appearances in the KBO League through last year, recording 44 wins, 33 losses, 427 saves, 19 holds, and an earned run average of 2.25.
Oh Seung-hwan began with achieving the fewest games and shortest season to reach 100 saves in his third year after joining in 2007, breaking the fewest games and youngest records in 2009 and 2011 while completing 150 and 200 saves, respectively. Notably, his 200 saves accomplished in 334 games was a world record for the fewest games.
Additionally, Oh Seung-hwan was the first in the KBO League to reach 250, 300, 350, and 400 saves, setting an unparalleled record in the saves category. From 2014 to 2019, despite being abroad for six years, he amassed saves at an incredible pace.
On June 6, 2023, he made a record of 500 saves in total across Korea, the U.S., and Japan against NC in Daegu, and on October 14, he achieved his personal 400th save, the first in KBO history, with a scoreless 1⅓ innings in the home finale against SSG.
Oh Seung-hwan returned to Korea during spring camp, but faced a difficult time due to the passing of his mother ahead of the season opener. He pitched in the Futures League in early April but struggled with his performance, going 1 loss and an earned run average of 40.00 in 2 games. However, in 5 games this month, he has recorded 3 holds with an earned run average of 3.60. He has continued a streak of three consecutive scoreless games since the match against KT Wiz on the 24th.
Manager Park Jin-man noted about Oh Seung-hwan's current condition, "I continue to receive reports. If I hear that he has recovered his pitching form, I will call him up to the first team at any time. I will continue to watch him closely."
He also added, "I think we need to pay a little more attention to the bullpen. For the season to go smoothly, the bullpen needs to be stable. Oh Seung-hwan's role is also necessary."
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