'The first time in four consecutive years that the 30S-7 save king is shaking' It's been 10 days, but I can't believe it's not the final return. You'll be upset by the first chase 'Baby Tiger'

Aug 27, 2024

Samsung-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 28th. Oh Seung-hwan allowed a double to Hwang Jae-gyun with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.6.28/

Samsung-Doosan match held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 14th. Oh Seung-hwan and Kang Min-ho, who defended the 6-2 victory, are celebrating. Jamsil = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.14/

Oh Seung-hwan is back.

The Samsung Lions registered Oh Seung-hwan on the 26th, excluding Yang Hyun from the first-team entry.

Usually, he cancels his entry on Monday and registers for the first team on Tuesday, but Oh Seung-hwan registered on Monday, which was unusual. There was no reason to delay it by a day because registration was already scheduled.

He is in the first team, but he is not returning to the finish line right away. Samsung manager Park Jin-man has already announced his intention to end the game with Kim Jae-yoon for the time being, foreshadowing Oh Seung-hwan's first-team call-up. Oh is expected to play the role of setup man in front of Kim Jae-yoon.

I wonder when Oh Seung-hwan will go back to finishing. This is because the title of the save king is at stake. KIA Tigers' Jung Hae-young has already caught up just one step down.

Oh Seung-hwan made a save against KIA on the 11th and was running alone in first place with 27 saves. At that time, Jung Hae-young was second with 21 saves and LG Yoo Young-chan was third with 20 saves. On the 15th, Oh Seung-hwan's last day in the first division, Jung Hae-young remained in second place with 22 saves. The gap with Oh was five. In the 10 days when Oh Seung-hwan went down to the second division, Jung Hae-young made a save march and added four more.

Oh Seung-hwan took a three-to-two, one-run save against LG in Jamsil on the 16th, when he went down to the second division, and made saves against Lotte in Gwangju on the 21st and 22nd by keeping a one-run victory for two consecutive days. In the bottom of the ninth inning of a 2-0 lead against Changwon NC on the 24th, he took the mound with one hit and no run and recorded his 26th save of the season, approaching Oh Seung-hwan by one stroke.

The match between KIA and Lotte at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 21st. KIA came from behind to win 6-5 against Lotte. Jung Hae-young is happy after the game. Gwangju =Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2024.08.21/

Dream Samsung Oh Seung-hwan is pitching hard in the 2024 KBO All-Star Game held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 6th. Incheon= Reporter's book @sportschosun.com/2024.07.06/

Oh Seung-hwan's seventh attempt to become the save king in history was not easy due to the fierce pursuit of Jung Hae-young, who is trying to become the first save king.

Oh Seung-hwan is said to have raised his speed to up to 147km in the second division. He needs to prove that he can return to the finish by checking his improved speed and pitch in the first team.

Oh Seung-hwan got off to a good start in March and April with a 1.80 ERA and eight saves in 11 games in May, maintaining a stable 2.25 ERA. In June, he showed signs of anxiety with two losses, eight saves and a 3.86 ERA in 10 games, then fell into a slump of 1-2 with two saves and a 12.15 ERA in nine games in July, and in August, he recorded one loss and one save in four games and allowed four hits (two home runs) in three innings, still not good with a 12.00 ERA.

Eventually, he had time to adjust in the second division, and fortunately, he was able to return to the first division in 10 days by showing good performance.

Will he be able to win his seventh save king title with 30 saves for the first time in four consecutive years. Oh Seung-hwan's tough challenge begins again.

indyk@sportschosun.com