[Sports Seoul | Jamsil = Reporter Lee So-young] “The team feeds off the fans' support.”
Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung, 54, said that after his club thoroughly shut down Samsung at home, tipping his cap to the crowd. “I’m grateful to the fans who keep coming to the ballpark,” he added.
Doosan blanked Samsung 4-0 on April 29 at Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium in the second game of a three-game weekday series. After dropping the previous matchup in extra innings, Doosan controlled this one from the outset and never let Samsung back in it.
Starter Jack Rog delivered six shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight. He turned in a quality start and picked up his second win of the season. Though he surrendered baserunners early in several frames, Rog worked out of trouble with timely flyouts and punchouts, giving the club an ace-like performance. The bullpen trio of Kim Jung-woo, Yang Jae-hoon and Lee Young-ha closed things out with scoreless relief to preserve the shutout.
After the game, Kim praised Rog for “taking care of six clean innings and setting the game's early tone,” and he singled out Kim Jung-woo, Yang Jae-hoon and Lee Young-ha for executing their roles. Now in his second KBO season, Rog said, “I’m glad I could help the team win. Today’s victory was a team effort,” noting that the hitters backed him with timely offense and the defense held up when needed.
Doosan’s offense did its part, too. The team produced seven hits and capitalized in key spots with runners in scoring position. Manager Kim emphasized the process, not just the runs, praising Kim Min-seok’s go-ahead RBI and Daz Cameron’s timely work with runners in scoring position as decisive factors.
The club also got a big contribution from An Jae-seok, who returned from the second team and started the game. With Doosan leading 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, An turned on Bae Chan-seung’s second-pitch slider and drilled a solo homer measured at 125 meters (410 feet). Kim said he was as pleased with An’s defensive impact as with the multi-hit performance that included the homer, and he urged the player to build on the momentum.
Doosan recorded its eighth consecutive sellout, tying the single-season consecutive sellout record at Jamsil Stadium. Kim thanked the fans for their constant support, saying the players draw energy from the crowds that keep showing up. sshong@sportsseoul.com
