Has there ever been a player who received applause after getting a strikeout like this? Lotte's rookie outfielder Jang Du-seong (26) put up a relentless battle against the league's top save pitcher, going as far as 11 pitches, and backed the team's 4-3 comeback victory.

On Dec. 12, Jang Du-seong started as the number 1 center fielder in the eighth season match against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park, recording 4 at-bats with no hits, 1 walk, 1 run score, and 1 strikeout.

From the second at-bat, the battle against the pitcher was not ordinary. In the third inning, with no outs and a score of 0-0, Jang Du-seong faced KT's ace, Emmanuel De Jesus, and after 7 pitches (ball-ball-ball-strike-foul-foul-ball), he drew a walk. Víctor Reyes got a single to right field and reached third base after passing second base, as Jang Du-seong scored the opening run, breaking the scoreless tie on Jeon Jun-woo's single to left.

The highlight was the last at-bat. In the eighth inning, with the score trailing 1-3 and one out, Jang Du-seong found himself in a bases-loaded situation. The league's top save pitcher, Park Young-hyeon, came to the mound, and after falling into a disadvantageous count of 0B-2S against his first change-up and second fastball, Jang Du-seong did not get intimidated. After three consecutive fouls and watching a ball, he tortured Park Young-hyeon with another three consecutive fouls, eventually creating a 2B-2S count. Ultimately, on the 11th pitch, he swung and missed a 138 km/h slider for a strikeout, but Lotte fans were thrilled by the 11-pitch battle.

Could it have been the effect of the prolonged battle? Park Young-hyeon's control suddenly wavered, and the Lotte batters did not miss the opportunity. The following batter, Go Seung-min, calmly drew a walk, adding the first run of the chase, while Reyes stepped up to seize a 2B-1S favorable count before hitting a crucial two-run single into center field on the fourth pitch of a 129 km/h change-up. It was the decisive blow.

After the game, I was able to meet Jang Du-seong, the architect of the 11-pitch battle that backed the comeback triumph. He noted, “The coach told me to be aggressive right from the first pitch. Park Young-hyeon's fastball was so good that I expected only fastballs, but unexpectedly a change-up came in on the first pitch. I think I got a bit disoriented there, but I was determined to hit a fly ball no matter what, so I kept making contact. As a result, I kept cutting the ball.”

He added, “The more fouls I hit, the louder the cheers from the Lotte fans became whenever Park Young-hyeon threw the ball. So I felt confident that I could do something and continued to face the battle.”

Despite the strikeout, Jang Du-seong received applause from the Lotte fans and compliments from the coaching staff and teammates after the game. He said, “It’s a matter of results, but my coaches and seniors praised me for making Park Young-hyeon throw 11 pitches. Also, (Go) Seung-min saw the ball well, and Reyes hit well, so I think I received such a good evaluation even after getting out.” He smiled sheepishly.

Thanks to a promise made in the eighth inning, Lotte defeated KT 4-3, rising from a tie for third place to third place outright. Had they lost that day, they could have dropped to as low as sixth place, but Jang Du-seong and all the fielders displayed remarkable focus in the eighth inning, preventing the team's losing streak. Manager Kim Tae-hyoung also said, “The fielders maintained their focus until the end to create good results, which allowed us to win.” He applauded the heroes of the comeback.

Among them, Jang Du-seong said, “Before the game, I was nervous because we were tied for fourth place with KT. We lost a tough game yesterday (10th), but today (11th) we had a challenging game and managed to turn it around at the end for a good performance. I, too, feel more relaxed than before and find baseball fun.” He smiled brightly.

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