Lotte Giants right-hander Park Se-woong pitched an ace performance.
Park pitched a seven-inning, two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and one walk against the Sajik NC on April 25. It was his most innings pitched this season and his first no-hitter. After going 1-1 with a 5.12 ERA in four games in April, Park has clearly improved with a 2-0 record and 1.99 ERA in four games in May.
Speaking about Park ahead of the game against Gochuk Kiwoom on May 26, Sutton said, “He’s definitely showing more confidence now than he usually does. He has his own plan to attack the other team’s batters, and as he becomes more confident in his pitches, he also becomes more responsible, and he is showing the confidence on the mound that comes with his responsibility.”
“Yesterday, he threw all his pitches for strikes and showed good command, but what impressed me more was his first-pitch strikes. He threw all his pitches for strikes from the first pitch, which gave him an advantage in the count,” he said.
On the 26th, Park said, “I think they liked me because I pitched well for the first time in a long time.” He laughed and said, “Compared to April, I’m not saying it’s really good, but it’s getting better. I watched the video and looked at the data when it was good, but more than anything, I’ve gotten better balance.”
Was there an influence from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March? “After the WBC, I might have gotten tired without realizing it. My brothers said, ‘It’s hard after the tournament. It’s like the end of a season,’ so I thought it was true, but the pressure and fatigue of an international tournament is different from a regular game. I had a good experience.”
Nevertheless, Lotte is still fighting for position at the top of the standings. “My brothers are doing a good job in the middle,” Park said. Thanks to that, we don’t have many upsets. In April, (I) Gyun-An was so good, and in May, Gyun-An was good and I got better. The foreign pitchers are also improving from the beginning. If I had done well, I would have been ranked higher,” he said, expressing mixed feelings.
At this rate, Lotte will be able to play fall baseball for the first time in six years since 2017. Park Se-woong is one of the few remaining members who experienced that time. “I was young and it was fun,” Park said. Among the Beasts, only (former) Jun-woo is left. Back then, if you were bad in the first half and improved in the second half, now it’s important to stay on top. This year, I hope to be waiting on the high ground.”스포츠토토
Park’s performance in the postseason is expected because he comes from the lineage of Lotte’s “Glasses Ace. “Choi Dong-won and Yeom Jong-seok were the main players in the championship, and the team was so good then, and the team is stronger now. I also want to be a player who can help them win and be remembered.”
Finally, Park Se-woong said, “I’m getting better, not completely, but little by little. Compared to the beginning of last year, I am 100% ready for the Asian Games in September (Hangzhou), so I want to do well before then and earn a lot of team wins,” he said, revealing the motivation behind his current good form.