In the second game of the playoffs (PO, best-of-five), Samsung Lions native ace Won Tae-in and LG Twins foreign ace Dietrick Ens will take the mound carrying the team’s fate.
After finishing the first game of the 2024 Shinhan Solbank KBO Postseason (PS) PO held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 13th, Samsung coach Park Jin-man and LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop announced Won Tae-in and Ens as the starting pitchers for the second game, respectively.
In the first game, Samsung won 10-4 with 14 hits, including three home runs.
Won Tae-in takes the mound with the mission of continuing the winning streak.
Connor Siebold, who played an ace role in Samsung’s regular season with 11 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 3.43, was unable to join the PO entry.
Connor, who complained of pain in the scapula area of his right shoulder during the match against Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon on the 11th of last month, was excluded from the first team entry the next day. Although he underwent rest and treatment in order to participate in the postseason game, he was unable to recover and was unable to join the team.
Samsung, which selected another foreign pitcher, Denny Reyes, as the starter in the first game in Connor’s absence, brought out the Won Tae-in card in the second game.
Won Tae-in played a leading role in leading Samsung to fall baseball three years ago. In 26 games in the 2021 season, he achieved outstanding results of 14 wins, 7 losses, and an average ERA of 3.06.
This year, Samsung made a huge contribution in ranking second in the regular season. Won Tae-in, who played 159⅔ innings in 28 games, played the role of a local ace with 15 wins, 6 losses, and an average ERA of 3.66.
I didn’t have much fun against LG this season. Appeared in 2 games, had no wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 4.09.
In the game against LG on March 27th, he pitched not bad, allowing 1 run in 5 innings, but on June 25th, he faltered, allowing 7 hits (1 home run) and 4 runs in 6 innings.
Won Tae-in only pitched once in PS, but I don’t have good memories of fall baseball. In 2021, he made a relief appearance in the second PO game against the Doosan Bears, but was shaken with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs in 1⅓ innings.
Samsung, which had lost the first game in the best-of-three PO at the time, was eliminated in the second game after losing 3-11.
In this year’s regular season, Won Tae-in had 2 hits in 3 at-bats against Park Dong-won. He also gave up 2 hits in 5 at-bats, including a double, to Austin, and also gave up 2 hits in 4 at-bats to Shin Min-jae, who boasted a good batting skills in the semi-playoffs (semi-PO, best-of-5 games).
Won Tae-in is not the only one who left something to be desired at PS. The Ens, who are playing their first fall baseball game on the domestic professional baseball stage this year, also had a somewhat disappointing pitching in the semi-PO.
Ens, who started the first game of the semi-PO against KT Wiz on the 5th, allowed 5 hits (1 home run), struck out 6, walked 2, and allowed 3 runs in 5⅓ innings and became the losing pitcher. The Ens, who gave up one home run and two doubles in a row, suffered a loss in their first PS appearance as their batting line was unable to show strength.
LG, which had suffered from a poor bullpen during the regular season, survived with three starting pitchers in the semi-PO, and the Ens started the fourth game of the semi-PO on the 9th after only three days of rest.
Perhaps because the break was short, the results were not good. He was shaken with 6 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, and 4 runs in 3⅓ innings.
The key is whether Ens, who takes the mound after four days of rest this time, will show himself. If LG loses the second game, they will be pushed to the edge, so Ens’ shoulders will be even more burdened.
After losing in the first game, Coach Yeom said, “Depending on what kind of pitching the Ens pitches, we may have the upper hand or we may be pushed behind. “Ens is the most important,” he said. “I hoped Choi Won-tae, the starting pitcher in Game 1, would throw well, but he couldn’t. It’s very disappointing. “It’s just the way we expect from Ens,” he emphasized.
Ens, who played in the KBO League for the first time this year, showed an acceptable performance in the regular season with 13 wins, 6 losses, and an average ERA of 4.19. There were ups and downs at the beginning of the season, but gradually showed stability as he adapted to the league.
Although he was unable to secure a win in his two appearances against Samsung this year, he pitched well, allowing 4 runs in 12 innings and an ERA of 3.00.
The Ens are on the lookout for Kang Min-ho, who hit 2 hits and 1 home run in 5 at-bats.
The second PO match between Samsung and LG will take place at the same location at 6:30 pm on the 14th.
[대구=뉴시스]