Oh Seung-hwan is the only hope for Samsung’s pitching staff, whose 5.21 ERA is ‘dead last in 10 clubs’… Commander also praises “best condition in the bullpen”
Samsung’s biggest weakness is its bullpen. As of the 13th, the bullpen has a 5.21 ERA, which ranks last among the 10 teams.
This was the case against the KIA in Daegu on April 12. Samsung jumped out to a 9-4 lead through six innings, led by RBI singles from Oh Jae-il and Kim Hyun-joon.
Starter Taylor Widener earned his eighth quality start of the season, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings. She left the mound in need of her sixth win of the season, but a creaky bullpen allowed her to tie the game at 9-9.
With the score tied at 9-9, Lee Jae-hyun led off the eighth inning with a solo shot to left field to win the game 10-9, but the victory left a sour taste in the mouth.
“I think (the bullpen) was a little bit good, but then it was a little bit difficult against KIA on the 12th, and I think (the bullpen) is the most difficult thing,” said Park Jin-man ahead of the game against KT in Daegu on Thursday. It’s a challenge we haven’t solved.”
Among the creaky bullpen pitchers, ‘closer’ Oh Seung-hwan is like a ray of hope. He took the mound with runners on first and second in the eighth inning, tied 9-9, and shut down the opposing offense with 1⅔ scoreless innings to earn the win.
Park Jin-man said, “Oh Seung-hwan is a player with experience and operational ability, so he does a good job of facing hitters. He is at his best in the bullpen.”
Widener, who had suffered from the so-called “fondant fondant jinx” after joining Samsung, where he would pitch well in one game and then struggle in the next, showed off his skills against KIA. Widener has five wins this season, two against Kia and two against Lotte. “Each player seems to have his own team,” said Park Jin-man.스포츠토토
Samsung will face NC at Changwon NC Park on the 15th and 16th. David Buchanan will start the first game and Kim Dae-woo will start the second game. Park Jin-man hinted at his plans to use Choi Chae-heung and Choi Ha-neul as starters in the future, saying, “We’ll use them in the middle from the 14th and then see how things are when we go into the eight-game series.”
If Won Tae-in joins the team for the Hangzhou Asian Games, Park said he will use Hwang Dong-jae, a former first-round pick, or right-hander Lee Ho-sung, a first-round pick this season, as alternate starters.
