Hanwha Eagles right-hander Lee Sang-kyu took the mound as relief pitcher in an away game against the Doosan Bears in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Sunday. He pitched two innings with one walk and two strikeouts, allowing no run. He became the winning pitcher by leading his team to a 7-6 victory at the end of the 10th inning.
Lee Sang-gyu took the mound at the bottom of the ninth inning with no outs and runners on the first base, when the score was 6-6. The pinch hitter Kim Jae-ho’s sacrifice bunt resulted in one out and runners on second. Hanwha automatically put Yang on the fourth pitch. Lee Sang-gyu, the first and second basemen with one out, made Yang Seok-hwan the catcher with a foul fly and Kim Tae-geun the grounder to the third base.
At the top of the 10th inning, Hanwha lost the balance of points due to opponent Yang Seok-hwan’s error at the catch and Kim Tae-yeon’s timely hit. The team led 7-6. It had to finish the game at the bottom of the 10th inning. Lee Sang-kyu came out again. Kang Seung-ho and Jeon Min-jae were swung and missed, struck out, and overpowered Seo Ye-il with a catcher’s foul fly. He neatly handed his team victory.
He was named the winning pitcher for the first time in 1,553 days since the game against the KT Wiz on May 24, 2020, when he was a member of the LG Twins. His performance was all the more valuable because he showed great pitching at a time when he had exhausted both the must-win group and the finishing main phenomenon.
Lee Sang-kyu, whom I met after the game, said, “There were many days when I couldn’t get on the mound and throw my own ball. All I thought about was ‘Let’s throw my ball,'” he said. “Coach and coach told me to ‘throw my ball confidently.’ I think I got a good result because I went up with that mindset.”
“The coach always looks at me and says ‘with confidence’ before taking the mound. It’s not that the ball is bad. The result didn’t come out because I wasn’t confident. So he said, ‘Throw it with confidence.’ “
Hanwha Eagles reliever Lee Sang-kyu is interviewed after he became the winning pitcher for the first time in 1,553 days after pitching two scoreless innings in an away game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 24th. Reporter Choi Won-young in Jamsil, Seoul
When was it decided that he would take the mound in the 10th inning as well? “After the score (early the 10th inning), I think I was told, ‘Sang-gyu, let’s go one more time.’ In fact, I can’t remember exactly the situation at that time,” Lee said with an awkward smile.
Lee Sang-kyu said, “Captor Choi Jae-hoon led really well. He gave me a clear autograph and just threw it accordingly,” adding, “I think the result I wanted came out because I did what my brother told me to do, rather than because my ball was good.”먹튀검증
After finishing the victory, he conducted an interview with a broadcasting station and Su-hoon. Lee Sang-kyu burst into hot tears. I was so emotional that I couldn’t control it for a while.
Lee Sang-kyu said, “Sanghoon Lee commentator who was at LG in the past asked me how I feel right now, and I got emotional without realizing it. When I played the closing game (at LG), I didn’t feel it because there was no crowd (because of COVID-19), but I felt this feeling for the first time,” adding, “I realized again that Hanwha fans are really passionate. I was excited because they cheered me so happily and vigorously like the cheering song ‘I’m happy’.”
“Because I’ve been a nurturing player, I thought I would fail. I thought a lot, ‘Am I up to this point?’ “It felt different to come to Hanwha and overcome that time and win in front of so many fans,” he said.
Lee Sang-kyu was drafted by LG in 2015 as the 70th pick in the second round of the seventh round. He was not called by the first team for a long time. He finally made his debut in the first team in 2019 after finishing his mandatory military service. However, he only played one game and two ⅓ innings that year, too.
Hanwha Eagles reliever Lee Sang-kyu pitches as a relief pitcher in an away game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 24th. Courtesy of the Hanwha Eagles
He made his name known in 2020. He hinted at the possibility by temporarily holding the closing position. During the month of May, he played in 12 games, 12 ⅓, with two wins, one hold, four saves, and an earned run average of 1.46. He failed to continue his performance. He finished the season with two wins, three losses and one hold, four saves, and an earned run average of 6.68 in a total of 28 games and 31 innings.
He played in only seven games in 2021, and failed to take the mound in the first team in 2022. He began his career in 2023 after being transformed into a nurturing player. He was called up to the first team in late May, but played in only eight games. After the end of last season, he was selected by Hanwha as the second priority in the first round of the second draft, and changed his uniform.
“I cried a lot when my transfer was confirmed for the first time,” Lee said. “I was so sad that I was excluded from LG’s list of protected players. After coming to Hanwha, I got to start over with good players. I’m okay now.” He shouted, “Crisis is opportunity.”
I really wanted to do well because it was such a desperate and precious opportunity. “The moment I won this match, I remembered the coach and the coach,” Lee said. “I was really grateful that you trusted me and hired me,” Lee said. “I wanted to repay him. I lost the victory last time, so this time I wanted to give him faith. I remembered the coach and the coach because I felt like ‘I did it.'”
“I don’t dream of a must-win group. If you take the mound, I want to throw my ball vigorously,” he said. “I am always paying attention to continuity and consistency. I hope you are not good at just one day.”