Lee Young-ha’s performance in the last six games in 6⅓ innings, five hits, one walk, two strikeouts, and one run (non- earned run). Not only my grades but also my content has improved.

Last season, Lee Young-ha was at the center of controversy over allegations of school violence in high school and left the team before the end of the season. The Doosan club was classified as an uncontracted player during the trial, and Lee Young-ha, who was acquitted in the first trial on May 31, signed a contract with the club and received one contract ahead of the away game against KT Wiz on June 3.

However, the sluggish trend since 2020 continued until last year, and Lee Young-ha had a hard time achieving zero points for a while even after his return. During the month of June, he was sluggish with 12 games, 9⅓ innings, 2 losses, 4 holds, and an ERA of 8.68, and in July, he did not show any significant performance with 1 win and a ERA of 4.82 in 6 games, and was eliminated from the first-tier entry on the 4th of last month.

After completing about two weeks of reorganization, Lee Young-ha returned to the first team on August 20th. His performance after that was decent, with 9 games, 9 innings, 1 win, and an ERA of 1.00, and as time went by, he gradually picked up the pace by showing stable control and excellent pitching skills. In his most recent appearance, against the Gwangju KIA Tigers on the 15th, he came up as the second pitcher after starter Brandon Waddell and pitched 1⅓ innings without allowing any hits or walks.

Lee Young-ha’s rebound is very welcome news from the perspective of Doosan’s sure-to-win team, which survived with four pitchers including Jeong Cheol-won, Hong Geon-hee, Park Chi-guk, and Kim Myung-shin. The head coach, who has one more option in bullpen management, is also smiling.

After the 14th game of the season against KIA on the 16th was canceled due to rain, Doosan coach Seung-yeop Lee said, “Lee Young-ha’s pitch was good when he returned in June, but then he was a little motivated and (his condition) got worse,” and “the pitch tempo was a bit off.” “I felt like I lost my rhythm because I was slow and throwing a lot of balls,” he analyzed.

What does Coach Lee think are the factors behind Lee Young-ha’s rebound? He said, “Now that the first-pitch strike rate is increasing, it seems like good pitch positions are being utilized well.” He added, “As a result, hitters will come out more actively, but if (the pitcher) gets a favorable count first, it can be tricky for the hitter. “I think this could be the reason why Lee Young-ha is showing good pitching,” he said.

In addition to Lee Young-ha, another right-handed reliever, Kim Kang-ryul, also pitched well in the second half of the year with 15 games, 14⅓ innings, 1 win, 2 holds, and an ERA of 2.51. The Doosan bullpen, which had been unstable, is slowly regaining stability. The situation is not easy as Park Chi-guk was removed from the first team due to shoulder pain, but if Lee Young-ha continues to throw the ball like now, it is expected to be a great help to Doosan, which is competing for rankings at the end of the season.

by: 안전놀이터