Lotte Giants pitcher Hyun Do-hoon finally notched his first professional victory after nine years, delivering two scoreless innings in a thrilling 5-4 win over the Kiwoom Heroes at Sajik Stadium in Busan.
Game-Changing Relief Appearance
Hyun Do-hoon entered in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied at 2-2, relieving starter Kim Jin-uk. As the team’s second pitcher, he retired the side without allowing a hit or run over two innings, setting the stage for Lotte’s decisive rally.
Lotte struck first in the second inning before Kiwoom evened it in the third. The bottom of the sixth proved pivotal: with one out, Park Sung-wook drew a leadoff walk, Jeon Min-jae doubled to put runners at second and third, Lee Ho-jun delivered an RBI sacrifice fly, and Jang Du-seong capped the uprising with a two-run triple, giving Lotte a 5-2 lead.
Dramatic Ninth-Inning Save
Tensions rose in the ninth as rookie Choi Joo-young struggled, failing to record an out and surrendering two runs to make it 5-4. Kim Won-joong then took the mound with a runner on first and no outs, striking out three straight—including a pivotal changeup to Hyun Do-hoon’s key batter—to secure the save and the victory.
Emotional Milestone
Hyun Do-hoon, dubbed “Mr. Zero” by fans for his winless streak despite ample run support, debuted on May 8, 2018, against KIA in Gwangju. Saturday marked 3,160 days without a win. Post-game as the player of the match, he teared up while expressing gratitude, vowing to give his all amid roaring fan cheers.
