"I set a record of four strikeouts," the ace rang, and the decisive scene of Kiwoom's escape from three consecutive losses in the '21K luxury pitcher match → overtime reversal'
"I set a record of four strikeouts," the ace rang, and the decisive scene of Kiwoom's escape from three consecutive losses in the '21K luxury pitcher match → overtime reversal'
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He pitched no-hit ball until he retired in the seventh inning with two outs in the fifth inning. He set a new record of four strikeouts a day. Against this ace, the lowest-ranked team, which lost three consecutive games, garnered a valuable victory.메이저놀이터
Kiwoom Heroes, led by head coach Hong Won-ki (52), won 2-1 after the extended 10th inning in an away game between SSG Landers and Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 26th.
After losing three games in a row, Kiwoom finally got out of the nightmare by winning 10 games (20 losses). The victory was all the more meaningful because it was achieved in an ace pitcher's game against the "K Machine."
Drew Anderson, 31, of the SSG, displayed stellar pitching. During six ⅓ innings, he pitched 98 pitches, allowing two hits and two walks, and posting 14 strikeouts. He threw 59 fastballs with the maximum speed of 156 kilometers per hour, 21 changeups in the mid-140 kilometers range, and 16 curves in the late 120 kilometers range, which was slower than this. He also threw two cutters.
Kiwoom hitters, who were adjusting their timing to powerful fastballs, were helpless against a changeup that was faster than most pitchers' fastballs. After Jeon Tae-hyun at the top of the first inning, he finished the game with a KKK in the second inning, but all of his pitches were changeups.
He changed his pattern starting from the third inning. He complicated Kiwoom hitters' minds and won the game with fastballs that he didn't even realize. He struck out a whopping six times with high fastballs starting from the third inning. He garnered two with curves that took away intermediate timing, and one more with change-up.
His 14 strikeouts were the most in a game. Anderson, who joined the team as a substitute in May last season, recorded 158 strikeouts during 24 games and 115 ⅔ innings, showing the overwhelming performance of the K-machine. The previous record was 12 strikeouts against KT on August 25 last year.
He set three more records. He also tied the record of the most strikeouts by a foreign pitcher in history. He also tied the record of the most strikeouts by a pitcher at SSG (including when he was with the SK Wyverns). He listed his name in the club's history with Eom Jung-wook (winning nine innings without allowing even a single goal) against Munhak KIA on July 25, 2004, and Wilmer Font (losing two runs in seven innings) against Munhak KT on May 31, 2022. He also set all four strikeouts on the day, including his 41st individual strikeout, and his fourth in this season.
But it was Kiwoom who laughed at the end. The first reason was that Kiwoom starter Kenny Rosenberg (30) also displayed strong pitching. Throwing 105 pitches during seven innings, he pitched three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts, and one run, and held on longer than Anderson.
Then came the chance. As Anderson went down in a tight race by one point, Kiwoom hitters cheered up. Oh Sun-jin hit a double to left field with one out against Kim Min who took the mound in the top of the eighth inning, and Song Seong-moon hit a timely RBI single to right field with two outs, bringing the game to square one. Anderson's winning requirement went up.
The bullpen's good pitching, which took over the baton after Rosenberg, also shone. Park Yoon-sung and Yoon-hyun blocked one inning each without losing a point, leading the game to extra time.
Oh Sun-jin is making a come-from-behind final hit in the top of the 10th inning.
Kim Tae-jin walked to get on base against Kim Gun-woo, who took the mound in the top of the 10th inning, then headed to second base when he threw a wild pitch, and Oh Sun-jin scored the winning RBI with a clean hit to the right. Joo Seung-woo, who took the mound in the bottom of the 10th inning, sent the runner to first base due to a shortstop error with two outs, but he caught the Jihoon Choi with a foul fly to end the game.
Kiwoom, which struggled with its incomplete strength, with foreign hitter Yasiel Puig, No. 1 rookie Jung Hyun-woo and big gun transfer Kim Dong-yeop missing due to injuries. Therefore, the first starter, who showed the aspect of the inning, the reversal with the ability of veterans to solve, and the victory that bullpen pitchers protected were very meaningful.
"Starting pitcher Rosenberg pitched perfectly for seven innings. The bullpen pitchers that followed continued their pitching without allowing any runs," Hong said after the game. "In the attack, Oh Sun-jin's double in the eighth inning laid the groundwork for the team's pursuit, and Song Sung-moon's timely hit brought the game to square one. Oh Sun-jin took advantage of the opportunity once again in the 10th inning to hit a timely hit to come from behind, serving as a veteran player," he also praised the batters' performance.
However, he did have another scene that he picked as the decisive factor in his victory. He was playing defense in the bottom of the ninth inning. When the first batter Kim Sung-hyun hit a ground ball, shortstop Oh Sun-jin rushed the ball, but the batter was heading to the second base in the meantime. Dae-jaer Seok Jung-woo saw the third baseman throw to the first base when Ryan McBroom grounded out to the third base, but first baseman Choi Joo-hwan stepped on the first base and quickly sprayed the ball to the third base to get out of the crisis.
"In the ninth inning, the infield defense shone through. Song Seong-moon showed clever moves to tie the runner on the second base, and Choi Joo-hwan also made a precise throw," Hong said. "Oh Seon-jin also quickly started as a backup and caught the runner. This scene was crucial in bringing the flow of the game." As the lowest-ranking team, the atmosphere could have been chaotic, but it was a good defense because the players showed strong concentration until the end, and immediately succeeded in turning the tables in the next inning of offense.
He also expressed his gratitude to fans who must have suffered from the prolonged defeat. "I sincerely thank my fans for their constant support despite the losing streak. I will prepare well for tomorrow's game as well," Hong said.