“Seung-hwan Oh has experience and operational skills. He’s the best option right now.”
The Samsung Lions, coached by Park Jin-man, have had bullpen issues from the start of the season until now. Their bullpen ERA of 5.28 is the lowest in the league. The second half isn’t the worst either, but it’s not much better at 5.78.안전놀이터
Just look at the first 15 games. Against the Changwon NC Dinos, starter David Buchanan pitched six innings of three-hit ball, striking out six and giving up two runs (one earned), but was pulled after Chae-Heung Choi pitched 1.1 innings of one-hit ball and two runs, and Ha-Neul Choi pitched 0.2 innings of two-hit ball and four runs in a 1-8 loss.
Among bullpen pitchers who have started 20 or more games, right-hander Lee Seung-hyun has the best ERA. 3.86, followed by Lee Jae-ik (3.97). Left-hander Lee Seung-hyun, who was highly anticipated, is struggling with a 4.98 ERA. He’s down to the second team. Trade acquisition Kim Tae-hoon has also been up and down. He hasn’t posted a monthly ERA in the 3s since joining the team. His best ERA was 4.63 in August.
Samsung fans can’t help but feel nostalgic for the mighty Samsung bullpen of the early 2010s.
“It seems to be the most difficult, unsolvable homework,” sighed Park Jin-man.
But he smiles because he has this guy. Oh Seung-hwan. Oh Seung-hwan hasn’t exactly been playing well this season either. In 50 games, he has a 4-5 record, 24 saves, and a 4.05 ERA. It’s the first time in 13 years that he’s posted a 4.05 ERA since 2009 (4.83) and 2010 (4.50).
He struggled in the first half. He lost the closer’s job to left-hander Lee Seung-hyun for a while, and was sent to the second team twice even though he wasn’t injured. He also made his debut start on May 3 against the Daegu Kiwoom Heroes in an attempt to find his groove. There were twists and turns.
But these days, the Oh Seung-hwan we know is the Oh Seung-hwan we know. In his last 10 games, he is 1-1 with five saves and a 1.80 ERA. In those 10 games, he’s only given up two earned runs. The rest have been shutouts.
He only had 10 saves in the first half of the year (2-3, 2.80 GAA), but that’s not the case in the second half. He finished with 14 saves (2-2-2, 3.09 GAA). He is tied for fourth in saves with NC’s Lee Yong-chan.
His save pace is better than in the first half. Oh, who currently has 394 career saves in the KBO, needs just six more to become the first KBO pitcher to reach 400 saves. He will also be one save away from joining the 500-save club.
Before the season, Oh Seung-hwan said, “I’ve always been quiet about my personal performance, but this time I want to get 400 saves quickly, and I want to change the record.” “If other players also aim for my record, I think there will be better pitchers in the bullpen,” he said.
Manager Park Jin-man said of Oh Seung-hwan, “He is a player with good experience and operational skills. He fights well with hitters. He is the best pitcher in the bullpen right now.”
Samsung has 20 games left this season. The team needs to win, and Oh Seung-hwan needs to pitch well to get the save. However, if conditions permit, 400 saves in a season is not out of the question with his current form.
Seung-hwan Oh is Seung-hwan Oh. He’s getting closer and closer to the record books.
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