Despite attracting interest from other teams, the romantic closer only thought about Lotte. In his first year of free agency, he has already achieved 20 saves in the first half of the season.

On the 20th, Lotte Giants closer Kim Won-jung took the mound in the 9th inning against the Samsung Lions at the Busan Sajik Stadium during a professional baseball regular season game, recording 1 inning, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout without allowing a run, securing the team's 3-1 victory. With this, Kim Won-jung achieved his 20th save of the season, marking his third consecutive season with 20 saves and the fifth 20-save season in his career.

Although the first half of the season is not yet over, Kim Won-jung continues his save streak amidst the team's rising momentum. In particular, on this day, Kim Won-jung was in a situation of three consecutive games but had no hesitation in warming up and willingly took the mound in a save situation to finish the game.

After the last season, Kim Won-jung obtained free agency and remained with Lotte by signing a 4-year contract worth an aggregate of 5.4 billion won. There was significant demand for relief pitchers, and several clubs expressed interest in Kim Won-jung, offering higher amounts. However, Kim Won-jung only thought about Lotte and demonstrated his loyalty by prioritizing the contract with them, showcasing the romance of this era.

In his first year of the contract, Kim Won-jung continues to diligently perform the tasks assigned to him. On this day, he was also in a situation of three consecutive games, but after the 5th inning, he once again warmed up diligently. Despite the drizzling rain, he prepared for the game by running in the bullpen as per his routine and successfully completed three consecutive games.

This season, he has recorded 32 games with 3 wins, 1 loss, 20 saves, and an earned run average of 1.56 (6 earned runs in 34⅔ innings), and 40 strikeouts with a batting average against of .187. It can be considered that he is in the best shape since his transition to closer. If things continue as they are, he could theoretically achieve up to 39 saves, surpassing his personal record of 35 saves in 2021.

As the team maintains the status of 'Lotte Samdang,' opportunities for saves have also come frequently for Kim Won-jung, and he has not missed those opportunities. The more saves Kim Won-jung records, the more it can be interpreted that Lotte is also performing better.

On the 18th, he set a monumental achievement by recording his 150th career save, the 11th in history. This is a remarkable feat achieved six years after his transition to closer in 2020. "Achieving 150 saves with one team is truly a great honor for me," he said. "As long as I am on the mound, I always have the mindset to not come down until the game is over. The mere fact of accumulating records with one team is an honor, and while there are many records ahead, I believe that if I quietly walk this path, better records will follow, so I will take good care of my body to perform even better," Kim Won-jung reaffirmed.

Once again, he has achieved the record of 20 saves for three consecutive years, showcasing the model of an exemplary free agent. He also did not forget to take care of the club staff who work behind the scenes. After the game on the 20th, he expressed his gratitude by saying, "I want to express my thanks to the bullpen catchers who consistently warm up in this inclement weather," displaying the qualities of a mature leader.

He further noted, "I was preparing to pitch in a one-run situation, and senior Jung Hoon's one-run home run was a great help." He expressed his gratitude to the team, the manager, and the coaches for consistently giving him opportunities and taking care of him. "The remaining season is really important. I will continue to strive to pitch for the team rather than for individual records," he reaffirmed.

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