'It was a reversal, but it turned upside down as soon as the must-win group went out. What should I do for the second time in last place in the bullpen in July

Jul 25, 2024

SSG 조병현. Sports Chosun DB

I thought Kim Kwang-hyun would win in a month. But the result is the team's upset loss. The betrayal of the trusted bullpen is confusing SSG Landers in July.

SSG lost 3-5 in an away game against KT Wiz at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 24th. It's such a disappointing result. The starting pitcher of SSG is Kim Kwang-hyun. The opponent was 'Ace'William Cuevas. In the selection fight, Kim Kwang-hyun lasted longer and won the decision.

Both teams scored one point each against the starting pitchers. After Cuevas allowed five hits, three strikeouts and two walks in five innings, he left the mound in the top of the sixth inning with no outs and a bases loaded. KT's bench lowered Cuevas first in the midst of a chaotic situation, including ABS inability to read, reversal of strike-ball decisions and protests from both teams' coaches.

SSG almost cut off the flow in the sixth inning when it pulled down Cuevas but failed to score a run with no outs and the bases loaded, but hope arose again when Kim Kwang-hyun blocked him with a three-out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

And at the beginning of the seventh inning. SSG succeeded in turning the tables with difficulty. Jung Joon-jae and Jihoon Choi's strong performance was a catalyst. After one out, Jung Joon-jae succeeded in getting on base with an error as he confused pitcher Kim Min-soo with a surprise bunt, and immediately the next batter, Kim Jihoon Choi, hit a triple that penetrated the right-center on the first pitch. Two fast hitters broke the tight tie. And when Choo Shin-soo hit a ground ball, third baseman Jihoon Choi's bold rushing home was decided to be safe. SSG succeeded in turning the game around 2-1 with a foot baseball.

The match between SSG and Lotte at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 9th. The SSG Noh Kyung-eun who is pitching. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.07.09/

Kim Kwang-hyun, who pitched well with one run in six innings, was able to meet the requirements for a winning pitcher when he succeeded in turning the tables in the top of the seventh inning. He threw 89 pitches. The SSG bench immediately put in a must-win group at the bottom of the seventh inning. Kim Kwang-hyun's pitch count was a little more relaxed, but there is no need to overdo it. It seems that the judgment was that it was better for the must-winners to come out and find a sense of pitching because there were plenty of bullpen operations due to the recent rain cancellation games.

However, the bullpen was rather the worst. Cho Byung-hyun, who boasts the best ball power in the SSG bullpen, faced a crisis as soon as he came up in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the beginning of the crisis when leadoff hitter Kang Baek-ho picked out a fork ball and cut off a fastball and drew a walk. Hwang Jae-gyun, the next batter, also used a curve as the game of fastball and folk ball did not work, but the result was a hit to the right. Shim Woo-joon's sacrifice bunt and Mel Rojas Jr.'s automatic four pitches led to a bases-loaded operation with one out, but Kim Sang-soo hit a two-run timely hit that fell in front of right field. It was a 3-3 tie in an instant.

A game between the Doosan Bears and SSG Landers at Jamsil Stadium on the 30th. In the bottom of the ninth inning, SSG coach Lee Soo-yong and players are meeting on the mound with two outs and runners on the first and second bases. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.06.30/

The SSG bench replaced the pitcher with Noh Kyung-eun in the ensuing crisis. However, Noh Kyung-eun, who struck out Oh Jae-il, the first batter, allowed Jang Sung-woo, the fourth batter, to make a two-run timely hit to turn the tables.

Kim Kwang-hyun has only lost three games without a win for more than a month after winning six games of the season against NC on June 22. The atmosphere needed to rebound somehow, and the team also wanted to make Kim Kwang-hyun a winning pitcher, but they gave up the game too easily due to the difficulties of the winning teams.

In the first half of the year, the starters were shaken by the injuries and sluggishness of foreign pitchers and sluggishness of domestic starters, and rather bullpen pitchers, who were pointed out as weaknesses, held out on to the mound. However, in July, starting pitchers found stability, but on the contrary, bullpen pitchers are struggling to operate pitchers as more games fluctuate at once. In July, SSG ranked third in the league with an ERA of 3.78, but ninth in the bullpen with an ERA of 7.99. He is second to last.

It's not a matter of physical strength or continuous fighting. Rather, in the second half of the year, there are many games that are postponed due to rain, so the burden of innings on bullpen pitchers is less than in the first half. At times like this, it seems necessary to operate the bench.

youll@sportschosun.com