The Doosan Bears survived a week that seemed like it would never end. Thanks to strong performances from their alternate starters.
Doosan split a doubleheader with the Samsung Lions on April 9 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Foreign pitcher Brandon Waddell picked up the win. He threw 117 pitches and pitched seven scoreless innings. Choi Won-jun took the loss. The Game 1 starter suffered his third loss of the season after giving up three runs in five innings.
Five innings is considered a basic requirement for a starting pitcher. However, Jang’s five innings were not a waste. The game on the 9th was his first start in 73 days. After a brief stint as a substitute starter in the first half of the season, he was more than up to the task. Although Doosan lost the first game, Jang Won-jun, Park Shin-ji, and Choi Ji-kang were able to keep the pressure on the pitching staff to a minimum. Before the game against Samsung on Tuesday, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “Other than the pitch (Oh Jae-il in the second inning), (Jang Won-jun) was good. I’m thinking about when to make his next start.” “All of our players are doing their best. I’m grateful to them.”
The result was just as important as the win. Doosan played a total of eight games from March 3-10, not counting the rainout (five days). With a Monday game and a Saturday doubleheader in the same week, the pressure was on. Coach Lee Seung-yeop said, “This could be the most important week of the year. It’s going to be hard for the players, but they need to focus more this week.”
The pressure was on the mound for Doosan, who lost all four to five starters. They announced last week that they would be using a number of alternate starters, but only left-handed pitcher Choi Seung-yong had been in good form recently. He was also returning from injury, so it was hard to expect much from him.
When the veil was lifted, he exceeded expectations. In the week leading up to the end of the series, the starting rotation was largely untouched. Raul Alcantara (2 games, 13 innings, 4 earned runs) and Brandon’s long innings had a big impact, but even with a good one-two punch, the bullpen’s workload is multiplied when the starters are “blown out”.
Along with Jang, Choi Won-jun and Choi Seung-yong erased those concerns. Choi was in peak hitting form, throwing five scoreless innings against the KIA Tigers on July 7 during a nine-game winning streak. He only needed 59 pitches and could have thrown more if not for a blistered finger. Choi Seung-yong also gave up two runs on 74 pitches in five innings for Samsung Electronics on the 8th. He didn’t get the win, but he laid the groundwork for his team’s ninth-inning comeback. Combined with Jang Won-jun’s strong outing on the ninth, Doosan got through the most important week of the year without a hitch. Thanks to the 15 innings pitched by the trio. 바카라사이트