S. Korean reliever poised to make history as Rockies clinch MLB postseason berth

SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- With his major league club having locked down a postseason spot, Colorado Rockies' South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan is on the verge of making history.

If the right-hander is named to the Rockies' playoff roster and pitches in October, he will become the first South Korean to appear in postseason games in South Korea, Japan and the United States.

The Rockies won their eighth straight game by defeating the Washington Nationals 5-2 at Coors Field in Denver on Friday (local time). At 90-70 with two games left, the Rockies will either win the National League (NL) West division crown or one of two NL wild cards.

The 36-year-old spent his first nine professional seasons with the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and won five championships, in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Oh remains the KBO's all-time leader in saves with 277.

He took his talent to Japan, joining the Hanshin Tigers in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) before the 2014 season. He pitched in the 2014 Japan Series, where the Tigers lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in five games.

Oh signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2016 season and spent two years there without reaching the postseason.

Oh then joined the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this year as a free agent and would have missed the postseason again if he hadn't been dealt to the Rockies in July.

Though a left hamstring injury slowed him in September, Oh is expected to make the postseason roster based on his regular season showing.

Oh is 6-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 68 innings over 72 appearances so far, with 79 strikeouts and 17 walks. In 24 games in a Colorado uniform, Oh has gone 2-0 with a save and a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings, while striking out 24 and walking seven.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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