The Doosan Bears’ fall baseball season came to an end in vain. Doosan lost to the NC Dinos by a whopping 14 runs. In the process, the limitations of ‘novice’ manager Lee Seung-yeop were clearly revealed.
Doosan lost 9-14 to NC in the deciding game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO postseason at NC Park in Changwon at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. The loss ended Doosan’s season.
After finishing fifth in the regular season and qualifying for the wild card round, Doosan needed to clinch the game. A loss or a tie would mean immediate elimination.
Heading into the guillotine matchup, Doosan selected Kwak-Bin to start. Kwak had a stellar year this season, going 12-7 with a 2.90 ERA and winning a gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Against NC, he went 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA in three appearances.
Kwak Bin responded to the expectations of the Doosan bench by pitching a near-perfect game until the end of the third inning. The Doosan bats scored in every inning from the first to the third against NC starter Tanner Tully to take a 3-0 lead.
However, in the bottom of the fourth inning, Kwak Bin, who had been pitching well, faltered sharply. With the bases loaded, he allowed Seo Ho-cheol to hit a grand slam to left field. Unable to settle down, Kwak gave up a solo shot to left to Kim Hyung-joon, the next batter. He then gave up a walk to Doh Tae-hoon, forcing Doosan to retire Kwak early.
Doosan then brought in closer Kim Myung-shin. Kim has been a stalwart for Doosan this season, posting a 3-3 record with 24 saves and a 3.65 ERA in 70 games. However, the nerves of the big stage got the better of him in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he gave up a single to Son Asub and a walk to Park Min-woo to load the bases. Kim Myung-shin then struck out Park Gun-woo on a wild pitch to end the inning.
After surviving the threat, Doosan tied the game again at 5-5 in the top of the fifth inning. Doosan sent Lee Young-ha to the mound. After throwing 10 pitches, Kim Myung-shin lasted just 0.1 innings. As a result, Young-ha gave up a run on a bases-loaded double play that resulted from an error by Kang Seung-ho, giving up a 5-6 lead and the loss of the game. 먹튀검증
Lee Seung-yeop’s subsequent pitching decisions were also disappointing, as he brought in Choi Seung-yong in the bottom of the sixth inning after Lee Young-ha. Choi struck out three batters in 10 pitches. With the number of pitches he threw and the pitches he was throwing, he could have pitched the next inning.