The Doosan Bears kicked off the week on a high note with a two-hit shutout of the Samsung Lions. Left-hander Young-geon Choi Seung-yong, who started on the mound, pitched a complete-game shutout.
Doosan won the ninth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against Samsung 5-3 on Aug. 8 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Doosan quickly turned the tables on Samsung after a 1-3 loss to KT Wiz on the previous day.
Doosan’s starting lineup was Jung Soo-bin (center field), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Rojas (right field), Yang Seok-hwan (designated hitter), Kang Seung-ho (second base), Kim Jae-hwan (left field), Kim Min-hyuk (first base), Park Yoo-yeon (catcher), and Heo Kyung-min (third base). Choi Seung-yong started in place of Choi Won-joon, who was sidelined with an injury.
Samsung came out with the following batting order: Kim Hyun-joon (center field), Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Koo Ja-uk (right field), Kang Min-ho (designated hitter), Ryu Ji-hyuk (third base), Pirela (left field), Kang Han-ul (second base), Oh Jae-il (first base), and Kim Jae-sung (catcher). Left-hander Choi Chae-heung started against Choi Seung-yong.
Doosan took control of the game right from the start. In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Jung Soo-bin hit a leadoff home run over the right field fence off Choi Chae-heung for a 1-0 lead.
After Kim Jae-ho singled and Rojas grounded out to shortstop, Samsung’s second baseman Kang Seung-ho reached on a throwing error and Kim Jae-ho crossed home plate to make it 2-0.
Doosan widened the gap with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Two batters later, Kim Min-hyuk singled, Park Yoo-yeon doubled, and Heo Kyung-min tripled to extend the lead to 4-0. Heo Kyung-min tripled and then took advantage of a throwing error by Samsung’s Yoo Soo-jin to run home, making the score 5-0.
Doosan’s Choi Seung-yong responded with a strong inning of relief. He showed off his good form by holding Samsung to just one hit until the fifth inning. With his aggressive pitching, he easily increased his out count.
With the game on the line, Samsung fought back in the top of the sixth inning. A leadoff single by Oh Jae-il and a throwing error by Doosan left fielder Kim Jae-hwan put runners on second and third with one out, and Kim Hyun-joon followed with a single to make it 5-1.
However, Samsung’s offense came to a screeching halt when Kang Min-ho, the No. 4 hitter, was stranded at the plate after Lee Jae-hyun was hit by a pitch and Koo Ja-rook walked to load the bases. Doosan’s bullpen effectively shut down Samsung’s resistance in the seventh and eighth innings. 안전놀이터
In the top of the ninth inning, Doosan scored one run on a throwing error by left fielder Kim Tae-geun on Pirela’s single to left field and two runs on Kim Dong-jin’s infield single to center field on a throwing error by second baseman Lee Yoo-chan to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the team was able to hold on to its two-run lead and secure the victory.
Doosan earned their first win of the season as Choi Seung-yong exceeded expectations with 5⅓ innings of three-hit ball, striking out one and walking one. Choi’s long innings allowed the team to minimize bullpen usage, giving them more flexibility on the mound in Games 9 and 10.
Jeong Soo-bin capped off the night with a grand slam. He went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, one RBI, and a run scored in the win.