Starter-turned-reliever channels old self in key Korean Series start

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- In a crucial South Korean baseball championship game with his club's title hopes hanging in the balance, Kiwoom Heroes left-hander Lee Seung-ho delivered the best postseason outing of his career.

It didn't matter that Lee didn't throw enough innings to qualify for a win on Saturday, as the Heroes defeated the SSG Landers 6-3 to pull even in the Korean Series at two games apiece. By holding the opponents to a run on a bloop single in four innings, Lee exceeded all expectations -- even those placed on him by his own skipper.

Down 2-1 after three games of the best-of-seven series, the Heroes didn't have a full-time starter available for Game 4. Game 1 starter An Woo-jin would have been in line for this game. But he was pulled early in the opener with a blister in his right hand and the finger hadn't healed by Saturday.

Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki had mapped out a bullpen day and Lee was picked for the opener duty because he has the most experience starting games among the current group of relievers.

In his pregame media scrum, Hong said he wasn't expecting much from Lee and he was hoping for three innings from the left-hander at most.

Lee provided one more inning than that.

He got off on the wrong foot in the first inning, walking the leadoff man Choo Shin-soo and throwing a wild pitch to let him take second base. Two batters later, Choi Jeong cashed in Choo with a bloop single to shallow right field.

But that ended up being the only hit Lee allowed Saturday. He sat down the next eight batters in a row. After walking Choi to open the fourth, Lee got the next three outs on just six pitches.

Lee's day was done after that. He threw a season-high 48 pitches, and the four innings pitched were also the most this year for the left-hander.

Lee, 23, began his career as a reliever in 2018 but pitched in the rotation full time in 2019 and 2020. He was sent back to the bullpen for the 2021 season, though he did make three starts that year.

In 2022, he made 53 relief appearances but no start during the regular season. Lee had not thrown more than 50 pitches in a game since August last year. In the postseason, this was Lee's first start since October 2019 during the Korean Series.

Lee carried a 4.22 ERA in 10 career postseason outings prior to Saturday, with a no win-loss record.

He did not get a win Saturday, either, but he essentially saved the Heroes' season with this performance.

Lee's teammates backed that surprising start with an offensive outburst, highlighted by a five-run third inning. Shortstop Shin Jun-woo, in his first postseason start since Oct. 19, went 2-for-3 with two RBIs from the No. 8 spot.

Shin began the postseason as the starting shortstop but was replaced by Kim Whee-jip after making a series of errors. He tied a postseason record by committing three errors against the KT Wiz on Oct. 19.

But after Kim made his share of blunders in recent games, Shin drew back into the starting lineup and capitalized on his opportunity.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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