Doosan Bears pitcher Lee Young-ha pitched a crucial no-hitter in the season finale against the NC Dinos to help the team escape a three-game losing streak and secure a valuable victory. Lee, who had a memorable role in the all-weather bullpen at the end of the 2020 season, emphasized that he wanted to help the team in various roles during the final standings battle and in the postseason.
On October 12, Doosan won 11-1 in the Jamsil NC. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and kept Doosan in fifth place in the league with 72 wins, two ties and 65 losses on the season. They closed the gap on the fourth-place NC to 0.5 games.
Doosan struck first in the top of the first inning when starter Jang Won-jun gave up back-to-back singles to Son As-seob and Park Min-woo, followed by a sacrifice fly to center field to Martin with runners on first and third.
Doosan fought back in the bottom of the first inning when Rojas took a 142 km/h fastball from Lee Jae-hak for a 120-meter solo home run to tie the game. Doosan regained the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Kang Seung-ho singled and Kim Jae-ho doubled down the left field line to make it 2-1.
In the top of the third inning, the Doosan bench decided on a quick hook, replacing starter Jang Won-jun with Lee Young-ha with runners on first and second. Lee got Park Gun-woo to fly out to center field to end the inning.
Doosan had runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the third after Jung Soo-bin singled and Rojas followed with a bunt single. Yang Seok-hwan followed with a hard-hit single to left after a failed bunt attempt. Then, with runners on first and second, Yang hit a four-pitch 124 km/h changeup from Lee Jae-hak for a three-run home run to left field that traveled 120 meters.
Doosan took another step forward in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run by leadoff hitter Heo Kyung-min. One out later, Jung Soo-bin singled, stole second, and Rojas followed with a triple down the right field line. Yang Seok-hwan followed with a sacrifice fly to center field for a 9-1 lead. Doosan added a run in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles by Heo Kyung-min and Cho Su-hyun to seal the win.
On the mound for Doosan, Lee Young-ha came on in the top of the third inning and pitched three innings of two-hit ball, striking out three and walking none. After the game, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop gave a thumbs-up, saying, “Lee Young-ha pitched the best three innings without giving up a run.”
Lee, who earned his fifth win of the season, told the media after the game, “I didn’t think about anything else today, I just looked at (Yang’s) mitt and threw the ball, and it turned out well. I think it had a positive effect on me because I thought today was a must-win game. Today, I thought I would pitch one or two innings after (Jang) Won-jun pitched about four innings, but I went to the mound sooner than I thought, but the team’s bats scored a lot of runs, so I was able to pitch comfortably.”
Yang, who shared a battery with Young-ha, said, “I really liked (the subzero ball) today, so it was good that I was able to get right into the game after two strikes. When the sub-zero pitches are bad, I tend to pull the ball to avoid getting hit at first, and then get hit in unfavorable counts. Eventually, if the early counts are high, you’re more likely to get a full swing. That’s why it’s important to get into the count quickly when you have a good pitching balance.”
Lee led the team to a 17-win season in 2019 as a starting ace. After struggling in 2020, she transitioned to the bullpen, where she helped the team win in a late-season standings battle and in the postseason in an all-around bullpen role.
“I think it’s a good thing that I’ve pitched all over the place (laughs). I also like to go out in the early and middle innings of games like today and pitch multiple innings. Honestly, I struggled a lot in the sixth inning, not so much with my shoulder fatigue, but with my stamina. I don’t think my ball movement or velocity is bad. I believe I can get better for the rest of the season and next season.”
Doosan will need to go undefeated in its remaining 카지노 five regular-season games to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals. The atmosphere is not unlike that of fall baseball.
“In recent years, we’ve had the experience of fighting for position until the end of the season,” said Lee. So I believe our team can do better. Every pitch will be crucial, and I want to feel confident with my pitches and help the team,” said Lee.