SSG Landers native ace Kim Kwang-hyun (35, SSG Landers) has heavy shoulders. He takes the mound with more pressure than ever before.
Kim Kwang-hyun will start the second game of the 2023 KBO semi-playoff (semi-PO, three wins in five games) against the NC Dinos at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 23rd. Initially, he was expected to start Game 1, but considering that he took the mound in the final game of the regular season on the 17th, he was confirmed to play in Game 2. He will take the mound again six days after a five-day break.
SSG lost to NC 3-4 in Game 1. Starter Yoenis Elias pitched eight innings with two runs, but fell to his knees by one point as the batting line fell short of expectations. There is only a 28.6% chance that the team that gave up the first round in the best-of-five semi-PO ever turned the tables and won the series.
SSG can expect to advance to the playoffs only if it wins the second game and puts the game back to square one. Kim Kwang-hyun's good pitching is more urgent than anything else.
Kim Kwang-hyun, who has played as an ace for his team and the national team for a long time, has more experience in games than anyone else. He played in 22 career postseason games, winning four games, losing three, and earning an ERA of 3.35. In 2010, 2018, and until last year, he confirmed the Korean Series title by himself.
Kim Kwang-hyun had a lot of regrets this season. In this year's regular season, he started 30 games and was responsible for 168 ⅓ innings, and his ERA was not bad at 3.53. However, he only won nine games (eight losses) as he did not follow his luck. It was the first time in 11 years since 2012 (eight wins) that Kim Kwang-hyun failed to win in double digits even after playing a full season in the KBO League. The second round of the semi-PO is a great opportunity to wash away the regret.
Kim Kwang-hyun's performance against NC this season was easy. He started three games and recorded one win, one loss and a 3.31 ERA. He became a winning pitcher with four runs (one earned run) in six innings in the game on the 4th of this month, the most recent showdown.
Song Myung-ki will be the starting pitcher for NC, which has become more relaxed with the victory of the first game. Song went back and forth between starters and bullpens in this year's regular seasonHe left a disappointing performance with four wins, nine losses and a 4.83 ERA. It was painful to throw 104 ⅓ innings and give up 12 home runs. However, he was strong this season against SSG. He lost only one game without winning in four starts, but his ERA was low at 2.38.
When comparing the weight of the starting pitcher in Game 2, SSG is far ahead. However, NC is in a relaxed position. This is because Eric Peddy (30), the league's best starting pitcher who won "triple crown of pitchers," is likely to take the mound in Game 3
Peddy, who was hit by Ko Jong-wook's hit arm against the KIA Tigers on the 16th, was excluded from the wild card game entry and failed to take the mound in the first and second rounds of this semi-PO. 스포츠토토
Peddy played 19 bullpen pitches ahead of the first semi-PO game on the 22nd. If he recovers well during the second round of the semi-PO on the 23rd and the moving day on the 24th, he is expected to be able to take the mound in the third round. For SSG, the prospect of Game 3 will be even grimmer if they do not necessarily win Game 2.