Close to tying the franchise record for most consecutive wins (10)
‘Novice‘ manager Lee Seung-yeop is one win away from tying the record for the longest winning streak in baseball. Doosan extended its winning streak to nine games with a 4-1 upset victory over SSG at Landers Field in Incheon on Wednesday. With one more win, Doosan will tie the franchise record for most consecutive wins (10) set by Kim In-sung in 2000 and Kim Tae-hyung in 2018.
Doosan’s nine-game winning streak is the first in five years since 2018, when Kim Tae-hyung led the team. The nine-game winning streak also ties the record for most consecutive wins by a Doosan manager in his debut season. In the OB era, Kim Young-duk in 1982 and Kim Sung-geun in 1984 each won nine straight games in their first year in charge.
Lee said, “The record is not mine, but the players, coaching staff and fans of Team Doosan. We will prepare to finish well in the remaining games of the first half.”
On the day, SSG starter Kim Kwang-hyun used a fastball that topped out at 149 kilometers per hour and a slider, curveball, and changeup to keep the Doosan bats in check for six and a third scoreless innings. SSG took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo home run by leadoff hitter Choo Shin-soo, and Kim Kwang-hyun came off the mound after striking out the first batter of the seventh, Kim Jae-hwan, for his second strikeout of the day.
Moon Seung-won took over the mound and faced Doosan’s bottom of the order of 7-9. With two outs, Kang Seung-ho and Jang Seung-hyun hit back-to-back singles, and “rookie” Park Joon-young hit a two-run double to make it 2-1 and keep the winning streak alive.
Park was drafted by the NC with the first overall pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and made his debut as a pitcher, but injuries forced him to switch to hitting. Park joined the Doosan organization as compensation for catcher Park Se-hyuk, who left for the NC as a free agent before the season. It was Park’s fourth game as a Doosan hitter after being called up to the second team on July 7.
Doosan tacked on one more run in the eighth inning on a solo shot by Yang Ji-ji. Park added another run in the ninth when he reached on a throwing error by the opposing third baseman and came home on another throwing error when Jung Soo-bin singled to center field to seal the 4-1 victory.
“I promised the fans in my room (after the previous game) that I would definitely continue the winning streak, and I’m glad I was able to keep that promise,” Park laughed. Park, who started at third base in his first call-up game after seeing time at shortstop and has yet to make an error in three consecutive games, said, “Defense coach Cho Sung-hwan really paid attention to me. 고스톱 He advised me to fix the bad things and develop the good things, so I’m gaining confidence.”