adminHe wore the Taegeuk mark but couldn’t give the team wings. ‘Glasses Ace’ Park Se-woong’s struggles have come to an end.
Five consecutive quality starts (6+ innings, 3 earned runs or less-QS). Since mid-May, Park has regained the presence of a homegrown ace.
Game 6 of the season on May 11 against the Samsung Lions in Daegu. It was Park’s second start of the week after his last start against the KT Wiz on Tuesday.
That made it all the more eager. Park had recorded a QS in four consecutive games since May 19 against the SSG Landers, but his streak was snapped against KT. With a 1-4 record this week, he was desperate to change the faltering team’s mood.
His form was at its peak. He pitched the most innings of the season in two appearances. The previous high was 111 pitches (4 ⅔ innings, three runs) on May 2 against the Gwangju KIA.
He struck out just two batters, but his fastball (47 pitches), which topped out at 150 kilometers, was as good as his changeup. He mixed in a similar mix of curves (24 pitches), sliders (29 pitches), and even a forkball (14 pitches). His mix of pitches up, down, left and right of the strike zone was outstanding.
He finished the first and fourth innings with three walks, a hit in the second and third innings, and an error by first baseman Jeon Jun-woo in the fifth, but he didn’t falter. Instead, they were more aggressive and quickly retired the opposing batters.
Lotte took a two-run lead in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Jeon Jun-woo and a sacrifice fly by Yoon Dong-hee.
Park Se-woong walked Samsung’s Kim Hyun-jun with one out in the bottom of the sixth. There was an unfortunate moment when Kim Hyun-jun, who was trying to run on a one-bound ball, was caught in a rundown between first and second base and returned to first when Yoo Kang-nam made a hasty throw to second base.
But Park’s expression didn’t change. He calmly struck out Pirela and Kang Min-ho.
But in the seventh inning, he ran into trouble. Two batters later, he gave up a single to Samsung’s Lee Jae-hyun. After allowing a walk to pinch-hitter Kim Dong-yeop, he handed the mound over to pitcher Seung-min Koo.
Koo Seung-min gave up a walk to load the bases, followed by Kim Ji-chan’s RBI double and Kim Hyun-joon’s RBI single to make it 2-3. Lotte scored one run in the bottom of the ninth to extend the game, but Park’s fourth win of the season was already gone. 안전놀이터
Despite Park’s desperation, Lotte was unable to clinch the Classic Series with a three-run victory in the bottom of the 10th inning to end the game 4-6.
Park was previously named alongside teammate Na Kyun-ahn in the roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which was announced on Sept. 9.