The Doosan Bears lost to the NC Dinos 9-14 in the first round of the wild card (WC) decision on the 19th. The mound struggled enough to allow double-digit runs, but the bullpen was particularly shaken. Closer Jung Chul-won, who took the mound with one out and runners on first and second bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowed two runs with consecutive hits. Former closer Hong Kun-hee, who took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning, collapsed by allowing four hits and six runs in two-thirds of an inning. Doosan's fall baseball ended in one game amid the turmoil of former and current closer pitchers.
NC, which beat Doosan to reach the semi-playoff (semi-PO), is also worried about the back door. Closer Lee Yong-chan allowed three hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings in the first game of the WC decision. His pace in October (average 12.00 ERA in eight games) was not good, but the trend continued in PS. NC coach Kang In-kwon said, "I'm actually worried about (Lee Yong-chan's role). However, I don't think it means replacing a player who played as a closer for a season," he said, leaving Lee Yong-chan to finish the semi-PO.
However, in the first game of the series held on the 22nd, Lee Yong-chan took the mound in the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead, allowing two hits (one homer) and two runs in the first inning. After the game, head coach Kang In-kwon said, "I lost a point after hitting a home run, but I think I finished well. I'll believe it a little more." Lee Yong-chan, who also took the mound in Game 2, allowed one hit and one walk. He didn't lose a point, but it was a close pitch.
The situation at SSG is similar. Closer Seo Jin-yong took the mound in the top of the ninth inning, trailing 1-3 in Game 1 of the semi-PO, and lost an additional point. Seo Ho-chul's timely hit, which he allowed with two outs and second base, hurt. SSG chased Ha Jae-hoon with a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but lost 3-4. Seo Jin-yong made 42 saves this year to become the KBO League relief king. PS was expected to play well, breaking the SSG club's record for the most saves in a season (36 saves), but the first game was below expectations. From Jung Chul-won, Hong Gun-hee, Lee Yong-chan, and Seo Jin-yong, the "lack virus" of fall baseball closer seems to be spreading. The biggest reason why the game is fluctuating at the end of the game is that the back door is unstable.
It was the PS stage that the performance of Mariano Rivera, the No. 1 save in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB), was even more outstanding. Rivera's career performance at PS was 0.70. He had an ERA of 0.99 in 24 World Series appearances. Rivera, who left a cartoon-like performance in autumn baseball, said, "The fact that I have advanced to the playoffs is burdensome. Some people can't handle it well, others can," he said. "It's not regular season baseball. Same game but different. The pressure just happens," he said.
PS has a different atmosphere from the regular season. The concentration of batters reaches its peak. Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung Lions), the "final captain," said in the past, "You will feel a different atmosphere and pressure than the regular season," adding, "Only when you overcome it, the team can win and the value of the player will increase." There is no such thing as know-how. We have to think differently and approach differently (from the regular season)," he said. Depending on how you lock the back door, the KBO League PS joys and sorrows are expected to vary. It is a key point that applies not only to semi-PO but also to the playoffs (PO) and the Korean Series (KS).