Reliever puts in workmanlike effort for postseason victory

▲ Hong Geon-hui of the Doosan Bears pitches against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 9, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ Hong Geon-hui of the Doosan Bears returns to the dugout after retiring the side against the Samsung Lions in the bottom of the sixth inning during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 9, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ Hong Geon-hui of the Doosan Bears (R) is greeted by teammates after retiring the side against the Samsung Lions in the bottom of the sixth inning during Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 9, 2021. (Yonhap)

baseball postseason-performance

Reliever puts in workmanlike effort for postseason victory

DAEGU, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Bears' right-hander Hong Geon-hui entered Tuesday's postseason game against the Samsung Lions in one of the most stressful situations imaginable for a reliever.

The Lions had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom fifth, and had one of their best hitters, Oh Jae-il, coming to the plate. The Bears were nursing a 3-2 lead, trying to steal Game 1 of the best-of-three series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason on the road at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

In relief of starter Choi Won-joon, Hong came on and pumped seven straight fastballs against Oh. And that seventh pitch proved to be the lucky one for Hong, as Oh grounded into an inning-ending double play.

After cleaning up the mess for Choi that time, Hong pitched himself into trouble in the sixth inning. With one out, the Lions hit two straight singles, and an error by shortstop Park Gye-beom loaded the bases once again.

The top of the order was coming up, but Hong somehow wiggled his way out of the jam again.

Against leadoff man Park Hae-min, Hong threw two straight fastballs to get him to bounce one to first baseman Yang Suk-hwan, who threw home to get the lead runner out.

Hong threw a first-pitch slider against Kim Ji-chan, and then went back to his trusted fastball to get him to fly out softly to left field.

Hong pitched a clean seventh inning against the meat of the Lions' order. Hong struck out No. 3 hitter Koo Ja-wook on three straight fastballs, and two batters later, Oh fanned on a 2-2 fastball.

Hong came back out for the eighth, even as his pitch count was creeping up to his season high of 49.

Jose Pirela led off that inning with a towering double that came within a few feet of clearing the right field fence. Hong then walked the next batter, and allowed a sacrifice bunt on his 52nd pitch of the evening.

With tying runs aboard, left-hander Lee Hyun-seung replaced Hong to try to put out the fire. He kept the damage to minimum as Kang Han-wool grounded out to second to bring in only one run, which was charged to Hong.

There was nothing fancy about Hong's final line: three innings, three hits, two strikeouts and one earned run. But such a workmanlike outing was exactly what the Bears needed when they were short on relief options.

And their typically opportunistic offense quietly pounded out 12 hits, and scored three insurance runs over the final two innings to secure Hong his first career postseason win.

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