Acting as an ace when it matters… Kwang-Hyun Kim’s comeback led SSG to secure 3rd place
Ace’s true colors came out at a critical moment. The fightback of Korean left-handed ace Kim Gwang-hyun (35) led SSG Landers to secure third place.
Gwang-Hyun Kim started the final game of the regular season against the Doosan Bears in the 2023 Shinhan Bank Sol KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 17th and pitched well with 3 hits and no runs in 6 innings. He struck out four and walked two.
SSG, which won 5-0 thanks to Kim Gwang-hyun’s fight, secured 3rd place in the regular season and advanced directly to the semi-playoffs.
It was a game that could decide fate. SSG, which was in 3rd place before this day’s game by 0.5 games ahead of NC, was able to secure 3rd place in the regular season on its own with a win.
3rd and 4th place is the difference between heaven and earth. If you place 3rd, you will advance directly to the semi-playoffs and will also be given a four-day break. If they are in 4th place, they must play a wild card match against 5th place Doosan starting on the 19th.
SSG, which was competing for rankings until the last minute of the regular season, used a one-two punch, Roenis Elias and Gwang-Hyeon Kim, as starters in the two-game series against Doosan on the 16th and 17th.토토사이트
Although Kim Gwang-hyun had experienced many hardships, he could have been nervous because it was such an important game.
Before the game on this day, SSG coach Kim Won-hyung said, “It is the end of the season, so Kim Gwang-hyun’s condition is not very good. Still, he will play his role as he has a lot of experience.”
He showed off a pitch that fully lived up to the expectations of the head coach. He did not break down easily in times of crisis.
In the top of the first inning, Kim Gwang-hyun, who allowed a hit and a stolen base to opposing leadoff hit Soo-bin Jeong and was on second base with no outs, struck out In-tae Kim. At this time, catcher Kim Min-sik blocked Jeong Su-bin from stealing third base, increasing the number of outs. He then struck out Yang Seok-hwan and prevented a run.
Gwang-Hyun Kim, who finished the top of the second inning with a three-way throw, walked Cho Soo-haeng with two outs in the top of the third, but guided Su-bin Jeong to a ground ball to shortstop. He finished the game cleanly in the top of the 4th inning with a three-way strike.
Gwang-Hyun Kim faced a crisis in the 5th episode. After getting hit by Kang Seung-ho and Park Ji-hoon, he walked Ahn Seung-han, leaving the bases loaded with one out.
However, he overcame the crisis by setting up Jo Soo-dong with a fly to left field and Tae-geun Kim with a strikeout.
Kim Gwang-hyun , who hit all three batters in the top of the sixth inning,
finished this year’s regular season with 9 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.53. This score is not worthy of the title of ace.
There were no particularly serious injuries. He showed a lot of ups and downs throughout the season and fell short of his expectations. In the month of July, he only had 1 win, 1 loss, and an average ERA of 6.10 in 4 games.
It was belatedly discovered that he had been drinking during the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March of this year, and he was punished with 80 hours of community service and a fine of 5 million won by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in early June.
Although he had an ups and downs season, he served as an ace in games where the team’s fate depended on it. Kim Gwang-hyun, who finished his final appearance in the regular season on a good note, now turns his attention to the semi-playoffs.