5/3 - 5/5 Weekend Roundup

Happy Children's Day!

This weekend we recieved a very good article from the Joongang Daily on Samsung starter, Cho Jin-ho. In addition to having pantheon level facial hair, Jin also spent time in the MLB(he was awful), tried to dodge national service, went to jail(!), came back with SK, suffered a torn ligament in his pitching arm, had TJS and has now started a comeback with the Samsung Lions. Whew! He's an interesting guy. When I first read that he spent time in jail, I was worried he was a scumbag. He still might be, but it sounds like he just made a mistake.

I also feel the need to call attention to this guy. Mr. Baek Jeong-hyeon. A crooked cap in the KBO. I never would have believed it...

On to the roundup...

SK vs. Woori

5/3 - SK 2, Woori 0
5/4 - Woori 6, SK 1
5/5 - Woori 3, SK 1

Stop the presses! SK actually loses a series. I'm as surprised as anyone. Woori actually beat them at their own game.

Saturday's game belonged to SK's pitching. 1 starter and 5 SK relievers scattered 8 hits and allowed 6 walks(5 by starter Kim Kwang-hyeon alone), but Woori couldn't plate anyone. SK's Jeong Gun-woo(.252/.331/.287) was 2-4 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base.

The rest of the weekend belonged to Woori pitching. Neither of the performances could really be described as dominant. SK either hit the ball at people or let the Woori pitching staff off the hook with a double play or lazy fly ball. Just an ugly series for hitters, but a great one for fans. The games went by fairly quickly from what I observed.

Sunday's "hero" was Woori's Kang Byeong-sik(.296/.424/.407). He went 1-2 with a two run homer that gave Woori the lead for good. On Monday, Hwang Jae-gyun(.306/.342/.389) went 3-4 with a homerun, one RBI, 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Samsung vs. Hanwha

5/3 - Samsung 13, Hanwha 5
5/4 - Samsung 4, Hanwha 2
5/5 - Hanwha 8, Samsung 1

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in. 13-5 makes Saturday's game sound close. Before the 6th inning, Hanwha was losing 12-1. They tagged Samsung starter, Lee Sang-mok(5.59 ERA 1-2, 1.24 WHIP), for 3 runs in the 6th and then added another in the 8th off of a Samsung warm body. Samsung's Park Seok-min(.294/.402/.422) went 3-5 with a double, a homer, two RBI and 3 runs scored. Kim Chang-hee(.276/.417/.345 in only 29 AB's) went 2-3 with 3 RBI. Yang Jun-hyeok(.209/.293/.318) also continued his recent luke warm streak by going 2-3 with and RBI and two runs scored.

Sunday's game belong to Samsung starting pitcher, Cho Jin-ho, making his first start in 4 years. Cho tossed 6 innings(80 pitches, 53 strikes) allowing 4 hits and striking out one. Park Seok-min continued to clobber Hanwha pitching. He went 2-3 with 2 RBI. Oh Seung-hwan notched his 9th save.

Monday's game was closer than it sounded. If Samsung warm body, Choi Won-jae didn't allow 4 runs in the top of the 9th, the final wouldn't sound so bad. Hanwha's Lee Beom-ho(.279/0389/.468, 22 runs scored, 21 RBI) went 2-5 with 3 RBI and one run scored, while Lee Do-hyeong(.233/.281/.333 in 30 AB's) went 2-4 with two RBI. Hanhwa's Yoo Won-sang(5.55 ERA 2-2, 1.88 WHIP) earned the W with 5 2/3 innings(93 pitches, 49 strikes) allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 5.

Doosan vs. LG

5/3 - Doosan 16, LG 4
5/4 - Doosan 8, LG 3
5/5 - Doosan 4, LG 2

Break out the brooms!!! If you outscore an opponent 28 to 9, you deserve to sweep them. On Satuday night, Doosan banged out 22 hits and earned 3 free passes during their 16-run assault on LG pitching. Every Doosan starter got in on the action. Doosan didn't hit any homeruns, but they did manage 2 doubles and 3(!) triples. Jae Sang-byeong(.198/.255/.291) went 4-5 with a triple, 3 RBI and 1 run scored during the route. Hong Seong-hun(.341/.365/.455) went 3-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. LG leadoff man, Lee Dae-hyeong(.309/.361/.338, 19 SB's) went 4-5 with a double, 1 RBI, one run scored and a stolen base.

This one wasn't as bad as the final sounded. Doosan tacked on two "just because we can" runs in the top of the 9th to put the game out of reach for good. Doosan's Ko Yeong-min(.225/.362/.333) was 2-4 with a double, 3 RBI and one run scored. The lone bright spot for LG was cleanup hitter, Choi Dong su's(.267/.341/.457) 2-run homer in the 3rd inning when the game was still in reach. "Downtown" Jamie Brown(7.29 ERA, 1-4, 1.83 WHIP) was awful . He lasted only three innings(plus a couple batters in the 4th, using 61 pitches, 34 strikes) while allowing 6 runs on 7 hits, two walks, and two hit batsmen.

Monday's game was tied at 2 at the end of 9 innings. Doosan scored two runs in the top of the tenth on a triple from Lee Jong-wook(.333/.413/.400). Doosan reliever, Lee Jae-woo(0.38 ERA, 1 save, 5 holds, 0.92 WHIP) kept LG off the scoreboard for 3 innings after starter Mark Randel(3.55 ERA, 1-2, 1.34 WHIP) allowed LG to tie the game in the 7th. Jang Jae-hun notched his 5th save.

KIA vs. Lotte

5/3 - KIA 4, Lotte 2
5/4 - Rain, rain, go away!
5/5 - Lotte 6, KIA 3

On Saturday night, the big story was KIA starter, Yoon Seok-min(2.96 ERA, 3-3, 1.15 WHIP). Yoon tossed 8 strong innings(112 pitches, 70 strikes), allowing only two runs on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8. The usually potent Lotte lineup was held in check all night. Lotte managed only one extra base hit, a double by foreign sensation Karim Garica(.289/.364/.567, 7 HR, 22 RBI).

At the plate for KIA, Kim Won-seop(.365/.448/.473) was 3-4 with a double and an RBI.

Sunday's game was a washout.

On Children's Day, KIA sent mediocre ex-MLB player, Seo Jae-weong(4.14 ERA, 1-3, 1.65 WHIP) to the mound. Seo disappointed the children of Gwangju by lasting only 5 innings(104 pitches, 67 strikes). He allowed 5 runs on 9 hits and three walks, while only striking out 2 batters.

Lotte's foreign sensation, Karim Garcia, went 2-4 with a double, 2 RBI and a run scored. While Kang Min-ho(.326/.394/.609 was 1-3 with a homer, 3 RBI and one run scored.