Oh! KIA's Nail that couldn't laugh in the end, and Flower director's anxious hunch became a reality
Oct 21, 2024
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KIA Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho predicted James Nail's pitch, which was designated as the starter for Game 1 of the Korean Series.
He took the mound for the first time in two months after suffering a major injury such as a broken jaw. I was able to stand on the mound only after playing a step-by-step pitching program and two practice games amid the amazing recovery speed. However, it was not easy to overcome the pitching stamina, which fell due to a long absence in the actual game. Nail ranked first in the league's ERA (2.53) this season, but how to overcome the lost sense of practice was the key to the first game.
Manager Lee said, "I thought about the starting position for the first game between Nail and Yang Hyun-jong, but I thought it would be better to send out the nails first."I don't know the number of innings, but I wonder if (the number of pitches) will run out between 70 and 80", he pointed out. He added "You can change aggressively if you think you're running out of strength in that number of pitches, but if you think it's okay to reach the limit, you can go as it is."," he added.
The match that ended after 66 minutes of delay due to rain.
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After overcoming the crisis in the first inning, Nail seemed to have found confidence. He targeted Samsung's batters with his long-term sweeper. At the bottom of the fourth inning, he struck out Kang Min-ho, Kim Young-woong, and Park Byung-ho in turn, showing a good pace. Nail, who pitched scoreless until the fifth inning, pitched 66 pitches. The number of pitches Lee expected was below the limit.
But the unsettling hunch became a reality.
Nail on the mound again in the top of the sixth inning. The sweeper sprayed in the 2B2S match against Kim Heon-gon was concentrated in the middle. Kim Hun-gon pushed this ball, and the ball became a solo shot that fell inside the right pole. a 0-0 first-run break in the balance.
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Of the 76 pitches thrown by Nail on the day, 90.7% were two-seam (38) and sweeper (31). The maximum speed of the two-seam was 150km and the sweeper was 137km. It was a perfect ball in terms of ball control and control. However, he failed to overcome one real pitch.
ppark@sportschosun.com
