The Samsung Lions swept a three-game home series against Doosan, marking the first time in 3,966 days that the team has swept a series against Doosan.
In the final game of the midweek three-game series against the Doosan Bears at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the evening of April 18, the Samsung Lions scored four runs in the first inning behind five innings of dominant pitching from left-hander Seung-hyun Lee and a quick base hit and stolen base by Kim Ji-chan in the first inning, followed by a grand slam by Koo Ja-rook, and eventually won 5-2.
Samsung’s last sweep of Doosan came on June 7, 2013, in a three-game series at Daegu Civic Stadium, and it’s been more than a decade since Samsung has swept Doosan.
Continuing the team’s upward trajectory, Lee Seung-hyun earned the win in his debut with six strikeouts and no walks, while Oh Seung-hwan, the team’s most experienced pitcher, came on in the ninth inning to earn his fifth save of the season.
“It was an unexpected victory,” said Lee, who won his first start, “and the main reason for the victory was that my cutter, which I practiced from Australia to spring training and games with the second team, came out well.”
Kim Ji-chan, who used his quick feet to steal an infield single in the first inning and then converted a stolen base into the winning run, added another stolen base in the second inning after reaching 10 stolen bases for the fifth consecutive season.
“I’m happy to get my jersey dirty, and I want to help the team in any way I can,” said Kim Ji-chan, who made the game-winning play, adding to the team’s sense of two-hitting harmony.
With their recent four-game sweep of Doosan, a feat not seen since the days when winning the Korean Series was the norm, Samsung has moved up to fifth place in the 스포츠토토 standings and is now in the thick of the race.
“I didn’t even know it was my 100th win as a manager today, but many people congratulated me,” said Park Jin-man, who reached the milestone with the team’s winning streak and sweep of Doosan, thanking his players for their hard work every day and vowing to do their best in the remaining games.
Significantly, Samsung has won four straight games at home since last Sunday’s NC game, all of which have been won by starting pitchers, suggesting that the team has found some answers to its starting pitching woes.
Continuing their upward trajectory, Samsung will begin a three-game weekend series in Daejeon on the 19th against the Hanwha Eagles, who have seen their early season surge fade.