A 17-win ace who suffered setbacks after a mega free-agent contract has returned to the mound and regained his presence.
Doosan Bears right-handed fireballer Lee Young-ha came in as a reliever in the third game of the season against the LG Twins in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 26th, throwing 40 pitches over three innings, allowing two hits, two walks, striking out two and allowing no runs to lead his team to a 4-3 extra-inning walk-off victory.
Lee Young-ha took the mound after starter Wes Benjamin in the top of the eighth with the score tied 3-3. With closer Kim Taek-yeon injured and setup man Lee Byung-hun resting and unavailable, manager Kim Won-hyung entrusted the back end to Lee Young-ha, and at a time when a win was desperately needed, the return of the original LG killer was realized.
In the top of the eighth, Lee Young-ha used eight pitches to retire Moon Bo-gyeong, Song Chan-ui and Gu Bon-hyeok in order, opening the curtain on a strong outing. In the top of the ninth, after one out, he gave up a double on the first pitch to Park Hae-min and walked Hong Chang-ki with a four-seam on a full count, loading the bases with two outs and runners at first and second, but he showcased his crisis management by inducing a pitcher's groundout from Cheon Seong-ho on the first pitch.
Lee Young-ha, who took the mound in the top of the 10th, struck out leadoff hitter Austin Dean looking and induced Moon Bo-gyeong to ground out to the pitcher, bringing the inning to the brink of ending, but then walked Song Chan-ui on an eight-pitch at-bat and allowed Gu Bon-hyeok to reach with a single to left, bringing the crisis back. He then gave up a well-hit first pitch to Park Dong-won, but was aided by the luck of a straight throw to second base.
Backed by Lee Young-ha's three-inning fighting spirit, Doosan broke a three-game losing streak when Park Jun-soon delivered a walk-off hit with one out and a runner on second in the bottom of the 10th. Lee Young-ha notched his second win of the season five days after the April 21 game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik.
After the game, Lee Young-ha said he really wanted to win. He said there is nothing difficult about pitching three innings. He said he went to the mound thinking, "Let's pour everything out and go as far as we can." He said he believed that if he did his part on the mound, the fielders would deliver the walk-off.
On the secret to his strong outing, he said the manager and the pitching coaches advised him to believe in his pitches and attack, and to throw his own pitches. He said he had resolved from the moment he went out to be aggressive and throw only his pitches, and the result was good. He expressed gratitude for the advice.
Lee Young-ha, who made a name for himself as a 17-win ace in 2019, wandered between starting and relief roles before settling into the bullpen and signed a four-year, 5.2 billion won mega free-agent contract last November. Even while taking on bullpen duties, Lee Young-ha never hid his desire to return to the rotation each year, and with manager Kim Won-hyung's appointment he entered the starting competition and finally earned the chance to recreate the glory of 17 wins.
Was the pressure of a high salary and a return to the starting rotation too great? Lee Young-ha showed poor form in two exhibition appearances with a 7.71 ERA, and on March 27, the final tryout for the fourth and fifth starter spots in a Futures League game against the SSG Landers, he faltered again, allowing five runs (three earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Originally a likely fourth starter, Lee Young-ha was ultimately informed he failed the starting competition and would be sent to the second team, and manager Kim Won-hyung selected Choi Seung-yong and Choi Min-seok as the final fourth and fifth starters.
On the 15th in Incheon against the SSG Landers, Lee Young-ha finally got a start in place of the injured Chris Flexen, but he became the losing pitcher amid struggles of three innings, five hits (including one home run), three walks, seven strikeouts and three runs allowed. After Benjamin joined, his role was changed to the bullpen, and after repeated wandering, he finally reclaimed the stature of a 17-win ace in the game on the 26th.
Lee Young-ha displayed the fighting spirit befitting his 5.2 billion won contract and even moved Doosan fans to emotion. He said he actually was willing to pitch in the 11th inning too, but the manager said to stop while things were going well. He said he was lucky that Park Jun-soon finished it off at the right moment. He expressed sincerity, saying he felt he might be asking too much of the fans for their support, and that if they cheered a lot he would work hard to repay them.
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