SSG Landers ace Kim Kwang-hyun has saved a team on the brink of a cliff. Despite the difficult decision due to the scorching heat of 33 degrees Celsius, the team impressed the fans after the victory.
Kim Kwang-hyun led SSG to a 2-0 victory over the KIA Tigers with four hits, five walks and seven strikeouts in five innings in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season home game at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 17th.
In the meantime, Kim had 10 wins (10 losses) this season, making it his 11th career season with 10 wins. Thanks to Ace's performance, sixth-ranked SSG had 65 wins, two draws and 68 losses, keeping a two-game gap with fifth-ranked KT Wiz, who won on the same day.
It was also a game that determined the No. 1 regular season ranking of Kia, but it was a showdown that SSG could never back down. With 10 games to go, two games were irreversible. SSG also needed a victory as it had eight consecutive games ahead from the Kiwoom Heroes in Incheon on the 19th to the Changwon NC Dinos on the 26th. Moreover, the loss on the day could have been fatal to SSG in that the fourth-ranked Doosan Bears, the fifth-ranked KT Wiz and the seventh-ranked Lotte Giants all won.
The starting conditions were not good either. KIA's batting average was very strong until the game, ranking first in the batting average (0.331) and third in the OPS (0.878), and the team also turned the tables in the game against Suwon KT on the previous day (16th). In addition, the temperature felt by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) soared to 34 degrees Celsius on the day, and the players of both SSG and KIA teams also expressed concern, saying, "It's hot but too humid. Honestly, I'm worried." Eventually, emergency measures were taken, such as spraying water on the ground during cleaning time and extending it to 10 minutes from the previous four minutes.
Despite tough conditions, Kim steadfastly blocked Kia's line to strike. Confronting Kia's batters, Kim tried hard to secure victory. While Kim had only one point to support the team's batters, he risked five walks in order to not yield a single point.
Among them, Kim's performance in the fifth inning was impressive. Against Kim Kwang-hyun this year, Kim had a strong batting average of 0.5 (three hits in six at-bats) with two homers and an OPS of 2.000 before the game. In the previous two at-bats, he caught the ball by hitting a fly to the center field and double play, but the quality of the ball itself was not bad. In the face-to-face confrontation in the fifth inning, as 3B1S faced off due to unfavorable ball count, he boldly chose four pitches on purpose. As the ace player of SSG, such decision would not have been easy. However, he grounded out Socrates Brito and ended the inning without losing a point, keeping his team's lead.
After the game, SSG coach Lee Soo-yong also thanked the team. "It was a game in which we needed to win more than ever. We were able to win because the players did not lose concentration until the end," Lee said. "The pitchers blocked the opponent team's slugging line and the match without allowing any points, laying the groundwork for the team's victory. Starter (Kim) Kwang-hyun also showed his best pitching despite the hot and humid weather. Congratulations on your 10th win."
"There were many crises, but I am glad that we were able to keep the team scoreless. I am grateful that the bullpen pitchers gave me a win without losing a point in the next inning," Kim said. "I am personally having the worst season, including the ERA. However, I am very happy that I have achieved 10 wins. I am very lucky. I want to show good performance next year."
This was not the end of the day. Despite the hot weather, SSG succeeded in selling out for the eighth time this season as 23,000 full-capacity spectators visited Incheon SSG Landers Field. At the same time, the total number of spectators reached 1,086,014 this year, which is the highest number of spectators in a single season of the club. The previous record was 1,069,929 in 2012, and SSG set a new record for spectators following the first two consecutive years of the Incheon-based professional baseball team on the 10th. With three home games left, the first 1.1 million spectators will no longer be a dream. 메이저사이트
Kim Kwang-hyun said, "I heard it was the biggest crowd breakthrough, but I am grateful to the fans who filled the ballpark despite the record heat. I want to repay the fans with good performance in the rest of the game so that their passion does not fade."