Doosan Bears sidearm Choi Won-jun achieved his first quality start plus of the season but bore the burden of a loss without help from his teammates.
Choi Won-jun started in the third game of the season against the Samsung Lions on the 30th at Jamsil Stadium, pitching 7 innings with 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 3 runs (2 earned). However, he faced his first loss of the season due to defensive errors and a silent offense.
Choi Won-jun allowed a double to Kim Ji-chan in the first inning. With a right fielder's fielding error compounded, it became no outs with runners on third base. Lee Jae-hyun drew a walk, increasing the runners on base to two. In a no outs, first and third base crisis situation, he allowed a left field single to Koo Ja-wook, resulting in one run.
In the second inning, Choi Won-jun retired Kim Young-woong, Park Byung-ho, and Ryu Ji-hyeok in order. In the third inning, he faced a scoring threat with no outs and runners on second and third base, allowing a sweeping RBI hit to Lee Jae-hyun. However, he effectively shut down the heart of Samsung's batting order, including Koo Ja-wook, Kang Min-ho, and Lewin Diaz, preventing any further runs.
Choi Won-jun, who completed his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, also retired three batters in the fifth with a shortstop pop-up, right fielder fly, and a swinging strikeout. Rising in momentum, Choi handled Koo Ja-wook, Kang Min-ho, and Diaz, the cleanup trio of Samsung, with pop-ups in the sixth. In the seventh inning, Choi continued on the mound and shut down Kim Young-woong, Park Byung-ho, and Ryu Ji-hyeok.
While Choi Won-jun kept the mound until the seventh, Doosan managed to provide only 2 runs of support. The only scoring came from Jung Soo-bin's sacrifice fly to the left fielder in the third with one out and runners on first and third base, and a solo homer by Kang Seung-ho in the fourth.
Above all, it was regrettable to miss the scoring opportunity in the ninth. Lead-off batter Kim Jae-hwan drew a walk against Samsung's closer Kim Jae-yoon. The Doosan bench deployed a pinch runner, Choo Jae-hyun, as a gamble. Then, Kang Seung-ho's left field single ensued, creating a no outs, first and second base situation.
With a single swing, it was possible to end the game. However, Jake Cave went out on a ground ball to second base, and Yang Eui-ji's hit was caught by catcher Kang Min-ho. Pinch hitter Kim In-tae followed with a fly out to the right fielder, ending the game. Doosan finished the three-game series against Samsung with 1 win and 2 losses. It was a game where Choi Won-jun's strong performance faded.
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