6/6 - 6/8 Weekend Roundup

Happy 100 posts! I can't believe it got here so fast. I'd just like to send a big thank you to me. Seriously, I rock. Without me nothing would get done here. Matt is the greatest.


There was a lot of this going around on Saturday in Busan.

Aaron posted a write up of the first EWC 곗날. Yeah, that's basically what happened. Seeing a game in Busan was a terrific experience and I'm looking forward to going again.

Lotte vs. SK

6/6 - SK 5, Lotte 2
6/7 - SK 2, Lotte 0
6/8 - SK 3, Lotte 1

This was a fantastically played series in front of the best fans in Korea. It's too bad the home team didn't fare a little better, but when a team scores 3 runs in 3 games, they deserve to get swept.

Friday night's ballgame featured a quality start from SK's Lee Yeong-wook(3rd appearance) and some quality hitting from Park Jae-hong(.368/.453/.644, 10 HR, 39 RBI) and Choi Jeong(.327/.416/.424). Lee tossed 6 strong innings(98 pitches, 55 strikes) and allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. Park clubbed a solo homer in the first, while Choi hit a 2-run blast in the 6th to give SK the lead for good.

Saturday's matchup was one of the sexiest that the KBO has to offer. Lotte Ace, Son Min-han(2.03 ERA, 7-1, 1.06 WHIP) vs. SK Ace, Kim Kwang-hyeon(2.71 ERA, 7-3, 1.35 WHIP). They didn't disappoint. Both threw complete games. Son tossed 122 pitches(71 strikes) during his day of work, but he allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk. He added 3 strikeouts. Kim was even better. While going the distance(123 pitches, 76 strikes), Kim held Lotte to 4 hits and two walks while striking out 6. The game was tied at 0 until the 7th inning. Park Jae-hong hit a flyball to center that was deep enough to score Park Jae-sang(.315/.414/.401, 14 doubles, 15 SB's). SK added an insurance run in the 9th thanks to an RBI single from Cho Dong-hwa(.243/.328/.290).

Sunday featured more of the same for Lotte and SK. An offense that was struggling vs. a solid effort from the starting pitcher. SK's Chae Byeong-yong(2.07 ERA, 7-1, 1.22 WHIP) worked 7 1/3 innings. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 3. Both teams traded runs in the first, but SK was able to tack on runs in the 3rd and 7th innings, while Lotte couldn't mount much of an attack. Sunday's game was the only game of the series that didn't sell out.

Doosan vs. LG

6/6 - Doosan 10, LG 2
6/7 - Doosan 4, LG 3
6/8 - PPD

The Doosan offense battered LG starter, Lee Jae-yeong(8.34 ERA, 0-1, 1.90 WHIP), for 8 runs over 5 2/3 innings. Lee allowed 8 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 3. Matt Randel(4.39 ERA, 4-4, 1.55 WHIP) gave Doosan a much needed quality start. Randel lasted 7 1/3 innings(95 pitches, 63 strikes) allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits, while striking out 2. Hong Seong-hoon(.335/.360/.449, 33 RBI) was the top hitter for Doosan on Friday. He finished the game 2-4 with a double, a homer, 3 RBI and 1 run scored. His homer came during a 4-run rally in the 4th inning that gave Doosan the lead for good. Kim Hyeon-su(.351/.445/.486, 35 runs scored, 38 RBI) finished 2-3 with a double, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 walks. Kim Dong-joo(.304/.435/.544, 11 HR, 41 RBI) went 3-4 with a double, a walk, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

On Saturday night, it was the LG bullpen's turn to suck. LG held a 3-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the 9th. Chris Oxspring(4.35 ERA, 6-3, 1.65 WHIP) was left in to pitch a 4 inning of relief and he coughed up the lead. A couple of walks and an RBI single did Oxspring in, but it was Jeong Jae-bok(2.53 ERA, 10 holds, 1.04 WHIP) that surrendered the winning run. Jeong came in, faced one batter and gave up a walk off single. Nice work! Lost in this mess was a nice day at the plate for LG's Park Kyeong-su(.290/.370/.449). Park went 3-4 with a solo homer.

KIA vs. Samsung

6/6 - KIA 5, Samsung 3
6/7 - Samsung 4, KIA 1
6/8 - KIA 4, Samsung 0

It took a quality effort from starting pitcher Yoon Seok-min(2.71 ERA, 8-3, 1.18 WHIP) and some timely hitting from Lee Jae-joo(.325/.430/.585, 8 HR, 32 RBI) and Cha Il-mok(.244/.312/.341) to doom Samsung on Friday night. Yoon lasted 7 innings(123 pitches, 77 strikes) allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 6. Both Lee and Cha struck during a 3 run rally in the 5th inning. Lee delivered a homerun and Cha slapped an RBI single.

Saturday night featured Jose Lima(5.14 ERA, 3-4, 1.43 WHIP) vs. Wes Obermueller(4.96 ERA, 5-4, 1.25 WHIP) in a battle of foreign devils. No matter who wins, we lose. Whatever. Jose got tagged for 3 runs in the first thanks to a few RBI singles from the Samsung offense. Obermueller stuck around for 5 innings(92 pitches, 61 strikes) before getting lifted with a lead. The Samsung bullpen kept KIA off the scoreboard for 4 innings and delivered Wes his 5th win in the KBO. Samsung's Park Seok-min(.309/.415/.493) finished 2-4 with a homer, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

3 KIA pitchers combined for a 3 hitter on Sunday. Starter, Seo Jae-weong(3.32 ERA, 3-3, 1.35 WHIP) did most of the work. Seo threw 6 innings of 2-hit ball, while striking out 5. The KIA offense finally got to Samsung starter, Tom Shearn(2nd appearance), in the 6th inning. Shearn surrendered 2 runs in the 6th before getting the hook. KIA's Lee Hyeon-gun(.277/.325/.368) swatted a two-run double. KIA tacked on 2 more in the 7th with help from an RBI double from Lee Yong-gyu(.309/.382/.400). Yoo Dong-hoon(2.48 ERA, 4 holds, 0.98 WHIP) tossed 2 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief to earn the save.

Hanhwa vs. Woori

6/6 - Hanhwa 1, Woori 0 (12)
6/7 - Hanhwa 6, Woori 2
6/8 - PPD

Friday night's game featured as many hits(12 total) as it did innings. Both of these offenses were miserable. In the 12th inning, Hanhwa's Lee Beom-ho(.265/.360/.441) clubbed a double off of Woori reliever, Hwang Doo-seong(2.63 ERA, 5 saves, 1.02 WHIP), he advanced to third and then scored on a sacrifice from Lee Hee-gun(.175/.256/.200). Brad Thomas(3.48 ERA, 12 saves, 1.19) struck out 3 during 2 innings of relief work to pick up the W for Hanhwa. Lost in this marathon were a pair of fine efforts from the starting pitches. Woori ace, Ma Il-yeong(3.04 ERA, 4-3, 1.19 WHIP) , threw 9 innings(116 pitches, 72 strikes) allowing only 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Hanhwa's Song Jin-woo(3.73 ERA, 3-2, 1.55 WHIP) threw 8 innings(109 pitches, 65 strikes) allowing 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3.

On Saturday, Hanhwa leapt out to a 6-0 lead thanks to a 4-run 4th inning. The 4th inning featured doubles from Doug Clark(.309/.399/.595, 61 runs scored, 14 homers, 42 RBI)) and Han Sang-hoon(.171/.240/.193 in 140 AB's!) and a homer from Shin Kyoung-hyeon(.219/.274/.324 in only 105 AB's). Hanhwa starter, Choi Yeong-pil(4.40 ERA, 3-3, 1.44 WHIP), kept an anemic Woori offense off the scoreboard for all 7 innings(102 pitches, 64 strikes) he was in the game. Choi allowed only 7 hits while striking out 6.