Well, that didn't take long.
The money quote...``Professional baseball players are not workers but individual businessmen, as precedents show. Individual businessmen cannot make a union,'' a KBO official said.
By this definition, isn't everyone an individual businessman and no one should be allowed to form a union? I'm usually not a pro-union guy, but it's time for the KBO to take the leap into 21st century labor relations.
On to the roundup...
Doosan 6, SK 6(12)
SK is in first place with a 13-6-3 record. They lead the league with 3 ties. This game was tied at 4 in the top of the 9th inning. SK took a 6-4 lead when Park Jae-sang delivered a basehit down the left field line to score a pair. Jeong Geun-woo had another solid effort at the plate for SK. Jeong went 3-5 with 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 2 walks and 2 stolen bases. His 9th inning single and stolen base was a key part of the inning. SK called on Jeong Dae-hyeon to finish off Doosan in the bottom of the 9th. With one out, Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo singled to right. Left fielder Kim Hyeon-soo reached on an infield single. He was able to advance to 2nd and the runner scored on a throwing error. The catcher left home to back-up first base and left the plate completely unguarded. Doosan caught SK napping and made the score 6-5. With runners on 1st and 2nd with still only 1 out, Yoo Jae-wong bounced a single through the left side to score Kim and tie the game at 6. Jeong would record a strike out and get a ground ball to end the inning. Then, nothing remotely interesting happened until the top of the 12th. SK loaded the bases with two outs, but Choi Jeong flied out to deep right to end the threat. Doosan went out quietly in the bottom of the inning.
LG 4, Hanwha 3
W - Shim Su-chang (2-2), L - Ahn Yeong-myeong (2-1), S - Woo Gyu-min (4)
LG rallied in the early innings to a 4-1 lead. In the first inning, center fielder Park Yong-taek hit a 2-run bomb. The next batter, slugger Roberto Petagine, clubbed a solo blast for his 7th homer of the season. Hanwha offered up a two fake rallies in the 7th and 9th, but they couldn't deliver a big hit when they needed it. LG starting pitcher Shim Su-chang was very effective during his 7 innings(103 pitches, 65 strikes) of work. He allowed only 2 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman. He also struck out 6. LG closer Woo Gyu-min was fairly shaky in the 9th inning, but he managed to record 3 outs before giving up the lead.
Seoul Heroes 3, Samsung 2
W - Shin Cheol-in (1-0), L - Ahn Ji-man(0-2), S - Hwang Doo-seong (6)
Hwang Jae-gyun gave the Heroes a 2-0 lead in the 5th inning when he connected for a 2-run homer. Samsung tied the game in the 7th. With runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs, Samsung tried a squeeze bunt with Hyeon Jae-yoon at the plate. The runner on 3rd was out by 10 feet. With runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, Cho Dong-chan singled to center to score Samsung's first run. With runners on 1st and 3rd with one out, Kim Sang-su struck out swinging. The runners were moving on the pitch. Heroes catcher Heo Joon threw down to 2nd, Cho was safe. Hyeon Jae-yoon sprinted home from third. He came in just under the tag to score Samsung's 2nd run. In the top of the 8th inning, the Heroes broke the 2-2 tie. With Doug Clark on 1st and Jeong Su-seong on 2nd with 1 out, 1st baseman Lee Sung-yong hit a ground ball to 2nd. Doug Clark was forced out at 2nd, but Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in couldn't find the handle on the throw. Lee was safe at first and Jeong scored on the error. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong allowed a walk and single in the 9th, but he struck out the other 3 batters he faced to record the save.
Lotte 7, KIA 2
W - Cho Jeong-hoon(3-2), L - Seo Jae-wong (1-1)
The Giants jumped all over Seo in the early innings and cruised to an easy W. KIA starter Seo Jae-wong was battered for 6 runs on 8 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman during his 2 1/3 innings(65 pitches, 38 strikes) of work. Seo struggled with location. Everything that was hit was up in the zone and the Lotte offense made him pay for it. On the other side of the field Lotte's Cho Jeong-hoon enjoyed the early cushion and cruised to victory. Cho tossed 8 innings(87 pitches, 60 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and struck out 8. Lotte's Karim Garcia hit a solo homer in the 4th inning. Garcia finished the game 2-4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Lotte catched Kang Min-ho also drove in a pair.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
4/28 Roundup and News
Uh-oh. I guess the KBO players have finally wised up. If I were a KBO vet, I think I'd be upset that 18 year olds are being signed by MLB teams for more money than I've ever made in a year. It's about time they got serious, but as a fan I have to worry about what this is going to do to the affordability of games.
I can't believe I missed this. A girl in the KBO? That would be...something.
Doosan 15, SK 2
W - Kim Sang-hyeon(1-1), L - Ken Kadokura(1-1)
Whatever Kadokura had during his first few outings was missing last night. Doosan thumped Kadokura for 8 runs(7 earned) on 6 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman during his 2+ innings of work. Somehow, he managed to strike out 2 batters. All the damage came in the third inning. Kadokura came in after two scoreless innings and he couldn't do anything. 8 consecutive batters reached base before SK could record an out. Doosan slugger Choi Joon-seok hit his 7th homer of the season during the rally. Choi finished the night 2-3 with 4 RBI and 1 run scored. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-soo finished the night 3-3 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Doosan starting pitcher Kim Sang-hyeon was able to cruise to an easy W. In Kim's 6 innings of work(71 pitches, 46 strikes), he allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk. Kim struck out 6 Wyverns during his start. Nothing good happened on the mound, in the field or at the plate for SK. It was an ugly game on all fronts.
Hanwha 11, LG 5
W -Ryu Hyeon-jin(4-0), L - Jeong Jae-bok(1-2)
Ryu Hyeon-jin was wild early, but he managed to settle down, keep his pitch count relatively low and earn another W. Ryu allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks during his 7 innings(110 pitches, 70 strikes) of work, but he did manage to strike out 9. He was victimized by the long ball in the 2nd inning. He surrendered solo homers to Choi Dong-su and Park Kyeong-su. Normally if a pitcher gets knocked around early he doesn't figure in the decision. Not with this Hanwha offense. Hanwha knocked out Jeong Jae-bok in the 4th inning and then added a few insurance runs against the LG bullpen. Kang Dong-woo and Lee Beom-ho homered in the first inning. Hanwha left fielder Yeon Kyeong-heum homered twice in this game. He hit a 2-run bomb in the 4th and a solo shot in the 7th. LG slugger Roberto Petagine went 2-4, but he also struck out twice.
Samsung 4, Seoul Heroes, 1
W - Bae Yong-su(1-2), L - Kim Su-kyeong(1-4), S - Oh Seung-hwan(7)
Look at Bae Yeong-su turning in the quality start. There's some life in that shoulder after all. Bae tossed 5 innings(72 pitches, 44 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. He did a good enough job of keeping the Heroes off balance and pitched to contact. Samsung right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning to give Samsung the lead. Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong drove in two more on a single in the 6th inning. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun continued his absolutely torrid start to the season. He finished the game 3-4 with a walk and a stolen base. His 5th inning solo home run was the only run the Heroes would score. Hwang currently has a .405/.459/.703 line in 74 AB's.
KIA 2, Lotte 0
W - Yoo Dong-hoon(1-2), L - Lee Jeong-hoon(0-1), S - Yoon Seok-min (1)
KIA only had 3 hits in this ball game, but one came with the bases loaded and happened to drive in a pair of runs. KIA 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon poked a base hit through the left side to score Lee Hyeon-gon and Na Ji-won. Both KIA starter Aquilino Lopez and Lotte starter Song Seung-joon pitched well enough to win, but neiter figured in the decision. Lopez tossed 7 shutout innings(96 pitches, 60 strikes). He allowed only 7 hits and 1 walk with 5 K's. Song tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings(114 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 2 hits, 1 walk and hit a batter. He also logged 7 strikeouts. Yoon Seok-min tossed a scoreless 9th to earn his first save in 3 years. Regular closer Han Ki-joo had been struggling. I'm guessing he was just given the night off to clear his head. Yoon is too valuable as a starter to be used as a closer.
I can't believe I missed this. A girl in the KBO? That would be...something.
Doosan 15, SK 2
W - Kim Sang-hyeon(1-1), L - Ken Kadokura(1-1)
Whatever Kadokura had during his first few outings was missing last night. Doosan thumped Kadokura for 8 runs(7 earned) on 6 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman during his 2+ innings of work. Somehow, he managed to strike out 2 batters. All the damage came in the third inning. Kadokura came in after two scoreless innings and he couldn't do anything. 8 consecutive batters reached base before SK could record an out. Doosan slugger Choi Joon-seok hit his 7th homer of the season during the rally. Choi finished the night 2-3 with 4 RBI and 1 run scored. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-soo finished the night 3-3 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Doosan starting pitcher Kim Sang-hyeon was able to cruise to an easy W. In Kim's 6 innings of work(71 pitches, 46 strikes), he allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk. Kim struck out 6 Wyverns during his start. Nothing good happened on the mound, in the field or at the plate for SK. It was an ugly game on all fronts.
Hanwha 11, LG 5
W -Ryu Hyeon-jin(4-0), L - Jeong Jae-bok(1-2)
Ryu Hyeon-jin was wild early, but he managed to settle down, keep his pitch count relatively low and earn another W. Ryu allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks during his 7 innings(110 pitches, 70 strikes) of work, but he did manage to strike out 9. He was victimized by the long ball in the 2nd inning. He surrendered solo homers to Choi Dong-su and Park Kyeong-su. Normally if a pitcher gets knocked around early he doesn't figure in the decision. Not with this Hanwha offense. Hanwha knocked out Jeong Jae-bok in the 4th inning and then added a few insurance runs against the LG bullpen. Kang Dong-woo and Lee Beom-ho homered in the first inning. Hanwha left fielder Yeon Kyeong-heum homered twice in this game. He hit a 2-run bomb in the 4th and a solo shot in the 7th. LG slugger Roberto Petagine went 2-4, but he also struck out twice.
Samsung 4, Seoul Heroes, 1
W - Bae Yong-su(1-2), L - Kim Su-kyeong(1-4), S - Oh Seung-hwan(7)
Look at Bae Yeong-su turning in the quality start. There's some life in that shoulder after all. Bae tossed 5 innings(72 pitches, 44 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. He did a good enough job of keeping the Heroes off balance and pitched to contact. Samsung right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning to give Samsung the lead. Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong drove in two more on a single in the 6th inning. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun continued his absolutely torrid start to the season. He finished the game 3-4 with a walk and a stolen base. His 5th inning solo home run was the only run the Heroes would score. Hwang currently has a .405/.459/.703 line in 74 AB's.
KIA 2, Lotte 0
W - Yoo Dong-hoon(1-2), L - Lee Jeong-hoon(0-1), S - Yoon Seok-min (1)
KIA only had 3 hits in this ball game, but one came with the bases loaded and happened to drive in a pair of runs. KIA 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon poked a base hit through the left side to score Lee Hyeon-gon and Na Ji-won. Both KIA starter Aquilino Lopez and Lotte starter Song Seung-joon pitched well enough to win, but neiter figured in the decision. Lopez tossed 7 shutout innings(96 pitches, 60 strikes). He allowed only 7 hits and 1 walk with 5 K's. Song tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings(114 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 2 hits, 1 walk and hit a batter. He also logged 7 strikeouts. Yoon Seok-min tossed a scoreless 9th to earn his first save in 3 years. Regular closer Han Ki-joo had been struggling. I'm guessing he was just given the night off to clear his head. Yoon is too valuable as a starter to be used as a closer.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
4/27 Roundup and News
The KBO actually rescheduled two of this weekend's rainouts for Monday. Someone should have looked at a weather report before this decision was made. One of the rescheduled games...was rained out again.
Doosan v. Hanwha
PPD
Seoul Heroes 7, SK 4
W - Lee Dong-hak(1-0), L - Kim Won-hyeong(0-2), S - Hwang Doo-seong (5)
They also should have alerted the local populace that a baseball game was scheduled for Monday night because it looked like about 30 people showed up. The KBO website claims 2,559 were in attendence, but my eyes say otherwise. Both starting pitchers were chased from the game in the early innings. It was up to the bullpens to keep a lid on things. The Heroes bullpen threw 7 innings of scoreless relief after starter Jeon Joon-ho surrendered 4 runs during his 2 innings of work. The Wyverns bullpen wasn't quite as lucky. Goh Hyo-joon was knocked out in the 4th inning. Heroes DH Cliff Brumbaugh took reliever Kim Won-hyeong out of the ballpark in the 5th inning to give the Heroes a 7-4 lead. Brumbaugh supplied majority of the Heroes offense last night. In addition to his 3-run blast in the 5th inning, Cliff also hit a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning. Both homers went out to left and both just barely cleared the fence, but they count just the same. Wyverns #2 hitter and left fielder Park Jae-sang had a solid game. He finished 3-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong threw a fairly uneventful 9th inning to nail down the save. 10 of Hwang's 15 pitches went for strikes, but he did allow a basehit.
Doosan v. Hanwha
PPD
Seoul Heroes 7, SK 4
W - Lee Dong-hak(1-0), L - Kim Won-hyeong(0-2), S - Hwang Doo-seong (5)
They also should have alerted the local populace that a baseball game was scheduled for Monday night because it looked like about 30 people showed up. The KBO website claims 2,559 were in attendence, but my eyes say otherwise. Both starting pitchers were chased from the game in the early innings. It was up to the bullpens to keep a lid on things. The Heroes bullpen threw 7 innings of scoreless relief after starter Jeon Joon-ho surrendered 4 runs during his 2 innings of work. The Wyverns bullpen wasn't quite as lucky. Goh Hyo-joon was knocked out in the 4th inning. Heroes DH Cliff Brumbaugh took reliever Kim Won-hyeong out of the ballpark in the 5th inning to give the Heroes a 7-4 lead. Brumbaugh supplied majority of the Heroes offense last night. In addition to his 3-run blast in the 5th inning, Cliff also hit a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning. Both homers went out to left and both just barely cleared the fence, but they count just the same. Wyverns #2 hitter and left fielder Park Jae-sang had a solid game. He finished 3-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong threw a fairly uneventful 9th inning to nail down the save. 10 of Hwang's 15 pitches went for strikes, but he did allow a basehit.
Monday, April 27, 2009
4/24 - 4/26 Weekend Roundup and News
The only news worth mentioning is that the great blackout of 2009 is over. KBS, Xsports and MBC started broadcasting again on Saturday. Huzzah. Morons.
Doosan vs. Hanwha
4/24 - PPD
4/25 - PPD
4/26 - Doosan 6, Hanwha 2
After rain washed out the first two games, Doosan knocked Hanwha starter Yoo Won-sang out of the game after only the 2nd inning. Doosan starter Kim Sun-woo was able to settle down after a rocky begninning and earn the W. Kim worked 5 innings(98 pitches, 51 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He was lucky to escape with only 2 runs allowed. Kim allowed 6 hits, 5 walks and 1 hit batsman. Somehow, he managed to strike out 1 batter. Kim was given an early 3-2 lead and did his best to get out of jams. Doosan extended its lead in the 6th inning. Doosan 2nd baseman Goh Yeong-min clubbed a 3-run homer to give Doosan a 6-2 lead. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok didn't homer, but he did drive in a pair of runs in this game. Doosan's bullpen was excellent on Sunday. 3 pitchers combined to lock down the final 4 innings. Of the 12 batters retired 7 went down via the strikeout. Yim Tae-hoon struck out 5 during 2 innings of work.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
4/24 - PPD
4/25 - SK 7, Heroes 1
4/26 - SK 4, Heroes 3
Kim Kwang-hyeon was able to keep the Heroes off of the scoreboard for the most part, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Kim threw 6 innings(102 pitches, 56 strikes) of 1-run baseball and struck out 5. That's the good news. The bad news is that he allowed 6 hits and 5 walks. The Heroes kept this one close until the 6th inning. SK DH Lee Ho-joon hit a solo homer to give SK a 2-1 lead. The next batter, SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong, hit another solo homer and chased Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung from the game. With 2 outs and the bases empty, SK mounted a 3-run rally to put the game out of reach.
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong was knocked around again on Sunday. This time he surrendered 4 runs on 9 hits and 1 walk during his 4 1/3 innings of work. SK starter Song Eun-beom worked 6 solid innings(73 pitches, 46 strikes). The only run he allowed came on a Jang Yeong-seok solo homer in the 3rd inning. Losing 4-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Cliff Brumbaugh hit a 2-run bomb to make the score look respectable in the newspapers.
Samsung vs. KIA
4/24 - Samsung 6, KIA 5
4/25 - KIA 2, Samsung 1
4/26 - KIA 10, Samsung 2
Friday was the battle of the Yoons. KIA ace Yoon Seok-min rumbled to the bump for KIA, while Yoon Seong-hwan took the ball for Samsung. Neither were all that impressive and neither figured in the decision. Yoon Seok-min worked 6 innings(114 pitches, 75 strikes). He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. He recorded 5 K's. Yoon Seong-hwan lasted 6 1/3 innings(108 pitches, 75 strikes). He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, but only struck out 3. Samsung was losing 5-4 in the 8th inning when catcher Jin Kab-yong connected for a 2-run homer that gave Samsung a 6-5 lead. Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan tossed a 1-2-3 9th inning with 2 K's. He recorded his league leading 6th save.
Saturday was all about KIA's pitching. Samsung had exactly 2 hits, but managed to draw 9 walks. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong left the game after the 7th inning with a 1-hitter. Yang struck out 3 and walked 6 during his start. KIA 3rd baseman drew first blood with a sac fly in the 1st inning. That would be KIA's only run until the 9th inning. Samsung tied the game in the 8th inning on a passed ball. Samsung infielder Shin Myeong-cheol ran sprinted home from 3rd when the ball got past KIA catcher Kim Sang-hoon. KIA broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the 9th. KIA shortstop Lee Hyeon-gon hit a groundball through the left side to score Ahn Chi-hong from 3rd and give us our 2-1 final.
On Sunday, KIA absolutely pounded Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man. I've been a big supporter of Ahn's in the past, but even I wouldn't accept a high-five from him after Sunday's effort. He was thumped for 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks during his 3 crummy innings. KIA's Na Ji-hwan hit a solo homer in the 1st inning. Na finished the game 2-5 with 2 walks, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. After Ahn walked the bases loaded in the 3rd inning, Kim Sang-hyeon hit a grand slam to give KIA a 6-0 lead. On the other side of the field Rick Guttormson pitched well. Rick tossed 7 strong innings(109 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 K's. The only run he allowed came on a Park Jin-man solo homer in the 4th inning. Guttormson is looking MUCH more confident these days than he did during the first week. A few nice starts will do that for you.
Lotte vs. LG
4/24 - LG 7, Lotte 6 (8)
4/25 - LG 10, Lotte 9
4/26 - Lotte 5, LG 3
Everything about Friday's game was ugly. The weather was awful, pitching was awful and there was more than one instance of awful fielding. This was your typical KBO 10 pitcher meatgrinder. Roberto Petagine did hit his 6th homer in this soggy affair, but not much else is really worth writing about. After both starters were chased from the game early, the bullpens took turns giving up runs until the umpires told everyone to go home. LG didn't really win this game, they just happened to have the most runs when the dust settled. Lee Dae-ho finished the game 2-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's. Also, somehow Karim Garcia hit a triple. He probably needed more than a few oxygen canisters by the time he bellyflopped into 3rd.
After clobbering Lotte pitching in the early innings, LG's bullpen tried really hard to give the lead back. With a 10-4 lead in the 8th, LG allowed Lotte to mount a 4-run rally in the 8th inning. Kim Min-sang hit a 2 RBI single to make the score 10-6. The next batter, center fielder Lee In-gu hit an RBI infield single to get Lotte even closer. Kim Joo-chan hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded cleanly, but Roberto Petagine couldn't find the handle on the throw. Another run scored on the error to make the game 10-8. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, Lotte's Park Nam-seob grounded out to short to score a run and record the 2nd out. With the tying run on 3rd base, Kim Min-sang hit a towering pop up to left to end the game. LG left fielder Park Yong-taek put together a solid day at the plate. Park finished 3-6 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. LG DH Choi Dong-soo helped LG's cause with 3 RBIs.
On Sunday Lotter starting pitcher Jang Won-joon actually gave the Giants a quality start. It's amazing what happens when your starting pitcher makes it out of the 4th inning. Jang threw 7 innings(107 pitches, 69 strikes). He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. He managed to strikeout 3. LG Ace Bong Jung-geun pitched well enough to win, but didn't get much help. Bong threw 6 innings(108 pitches, 64 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks with 4 K's. With Lotte leading 3-2 in the 7th inning, Lee Dae-ho hit a 2-run bomb to extende Lotte's advantage to 5-2. Lotte would need the insurance. Jon Adkins surrendered his first KBO run in the 9th inning. He was able to get the save, but there was a little more excitement than we've gotten used to with Big Jon.
I feel awful. Time to build a small fort out of blankets and pillows and camp out until my alarm goes off tomorrow morning.
Doosan vs. Hanwha
4/24 - PPD
4/25 - PPD
4/26 - Doosan 6, Hanwha 2
After rain washed out the first two games, Doosan knocked Hanwha starter Yoo Won-sang out of the game after only the 2nd inning. Doosan starter Kim Sun-woo was able to settle down after a rocky begninning and earn the W. Kim worked 5 innings(98 pitches, 51 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He was lucky to escape with only 2 runs allowed. Kim allowed 6 hits, 5 walks and 1 hit batsman. Somehow, he managed to strike out 1 batter. Kim was given an early 3-2 lead and did his best to get out of jams. Doosan extended its lead in the 6th inning. Doosan 2nd baseman Goh Yeong-min clubbed a 3-run homer to give Doosan a 6-2 lead. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok didn't homer, but he did drive in a pair of runs in this game. Doosan's bullpen was excellent on Sunday. 3 pitchers combined to lock down the final 4 innings. Of the 12 batters retired 7 went down via the strikeout. Yim Tae-hoon struck out 5 during 2 innings of work.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
4/24 - PPD
4/25 - SK 7, Heroes 1
4/26 - SK 4, Heroes 3
Kim Kwang-hyeon was able to keep the Heroes off of the scoreboard for the most part, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Kim threw 6 innings(102 pitches, 56 strikes) of 1-run baseball and struck out 5. That's the good news. The bad news is that he allowed 6 hits and 5 walks. The Heroes kept this one close until the 6th inning. SK DH Lee Ho-joon hit a solo homer to give SK a 2-1 lead. The next batter, SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong, hit another solo homer and chased Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung from the game. With 2 outs and the bases empty, SK mounted a 3-run rally to put the game out of reach.
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong was knocked around again on Sunday. This time he surrendered 4 runs on 9 hits and 1 walk during his 4 1/3 innings of work. SK starter Song Eun-beom worked 6 solid innings(73 pitches, 46 strikes). The only run he allowed came on a Jang Yeong-seok solo homer in the 3rd inning. Losing 4-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Cliff Brumbaugh hit a 2-run bomb to make the score look respectable in the newspapers.
Samsung vs. KIA
4/24 - Samsung 6, KIA 5
4/25 - KIA 2, Samsung 1
4/26 - KIA 10, Samsung 2
Friday was the battle of the Yoons. KIA ace Yoon Seok-min rumbled to the bump for KIA, while Yoon Seong-hwan took the ball for Samsung. Neither were all that impressive and neither figured in the decision. Yoon Seok-min worked 6 innings(114 pitches, 75 strikes). He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. He recorded 5 K's. Yoon Seong-hwan lasted 6 1/3 innings(108 pitches, 75 strikes). He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, but only struck out 3. Samsung was losing 5-4 in the 8th inning when catcher Jin Kab-yong connected for a 2-run homer that gave Samsung a 6-5 lead. Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan tossed a 1-2-3 9th inning with 2 K's. He recorded his league leading 6th save.
Saturday was all about KIA's pitching. Samsung had exactly 2 hits, but managed to draw 9 walks. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong left the game after the 7th inning with a 1-hitter. Yang struck out 3 and walked 6 during his start. KIA 3rd baseman drew first blood with a sac fly in the 1st inning. That would be KIA's only run until the 9th inning. Samsung tied the game in the 8th inning on a passed ball. Samsung infielder Shin Myeong-cheol ran sprinted home from 3rd when the ball got past KIA catcher Kim Sang-hoon. KIA broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the 9th. KIA shortstop Lee Hyeon-gon hit a groundball through the left side to score Ahn Chi-hong from 3rd and give us our 2-1 final.
On Sunday, KIA absolutely pounded Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man. I've been a big supporter of Ahn's in the past, but even I wouldn't accept a high-five from him after Sunday's effort. He was thumped for 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks during his 3 crummy innings. KIA's Na Ji-hwan hit a solo homer in the 1st inning. Na finished the game 2-5 with 2 walks, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. After Ahn walked the bases loaded in the 3rd inning, Kim Sang-hyeon hit a grand slam to give KIA a 6-0 lead. On the other side of the field Rick Guttormson pitched well. Rick tossed 7 strong innings(109 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 K's. The only run he allowed came on a Park Jin-man solo homer in the 4th inning. Guttormson is looking MUCH more confident these days than he did during the first week. A few nice starts will do that for you.
Lotte vs. LG
4/24 - LG 7, Lotte 6 (8)
4/25 - LG 10, Lotte 9
4/26 - Lotte 5, LG 3
Everything about Friday's game was ugly. The weather was awful, pitching was awful and there was more than one instance of awful fielding. This was your typical KBO 10 pitcher meatgrinder. Roberto Petagine did hit his 6th homer in this soggy affair, but not much else is really worth writing about. After both starters were chased from the game early, the bullpens took turns giving up runs until the umpires told everyone to go home. LG didn't really win this game, they just happened to have the most runs when the dust settled. Lee Dae-ho finished the game 2-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's. Also, somehow Karim Garcia hit a triple. He probably needed more than a few oxygen canisters by the time he bellyflopped into 3rd.
After clobbering Lotte pitching in the early innings, LG's bullpen tried really hard to give the lead back. With a 10-4 lead in the 8th, LG allowed Lotte to mount a 4-run rally in the 8th inning. Kim Min-sang hit a 2 RBI single to make the score 10-6. The next batter, center fielder Lee In-gu hit an RBI infield single to get Lotte even closer. Kim Joo-chan hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded cleanly, but Roberto Petagine couldn't find the handle on the throw. Another run scored on the error to make the game 10-8. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, Lotte's Park Nam-seob grounded out to short to score a run and record the 2nd out. With the tying run on 3rd base, Kim Min-sang hit a towering pop up to left to end the game. LG left fielder Park Yong-taek put together a solid day at the plate. Park finished 3-6 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. LG DH Choi Dong-soo helped LG's cause with 3 RBIs.
On Sunday Lotter starting pitcher Jang Won-joon actually gave the Giants a quality start. It's amazing what happens when your starting pitcher makes it out of the 4th inning. Jang threw 7 innings(107 pitches, 69 strikes). He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. He managed to strikeout 3. LG Ace Bong Jung-geun pitched well enough to win, but didn't get much help. Bong threw 6 innings(108 pitches, 64 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks with 4 K's. With Lotte leading 3-2 in the 7th inning, Lee Dae-ho hit a 2-run bomb to extende Lotte's advantage to 5-2. Lotte would need the insurance. Jon Adkins surrendered his first KBO run in the 9th inning. He was able to get the save, but there was a little more excitement than we've gotten used to with Big Jon.
I feel awful. Time to build a small fort out of blankets and pillows and camp out until my alarm goes off tomorrow morning.
Friday, April 24, 2009
4/24 Roundup and News
The Joongang Daily's Jee-ho is taking a break from writing about North Korea with "The Spin." This time he dishes on the dispute between the KBO and its various broadcasting partners. Must read.
The Joongang Daily also gives us a write up on one of the bigger high school tournaments. I can't believe there is really a 6'8 pitcher in Korea. I've seen a few large Korean baseball players, but none at 6'8. I could see this guy generating a lot of overseas interest.
On to the roundup...
Samsung 4, LG 1
W - Francisco Cruceta(1-2), L - Shim Su-chang(1-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (5)
LG outfielder Ahn Chi-yong drove in a run on an RBI single in the first inning and that was all the offense LG was able to muster against Cruceta. Cruceta worked 6 solid innings(92 pitches, 53 strikes). He allowed only the 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk. He appeared to pitch more to contact in this game and only tallied 3 K's. Samsung rallied for 4 runs in the 6th inning. Samsung 1B Chae Tae-in hit a 2-run single to put Samsung on the board. CF Park Han-yi and SS Park Jin-man also drove in runs in the inning. Oh Seung-hwan tossed a scoreless 9th to tie for the league lead in saves. Reports of his demise were terribly premature.
Hanwha 7, Seoul Heroes 6
W - Kim Hyeok-min(2-1), L - Jang Won-sam(0-2)
Didn't Jang Won-sam used to be good? He appeared to be as good as some of the other young, hard throwing lefties in the KBO last season. This year not so much. He left this game with a 6.38 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. If the Heroes want to even fake contending, Jang needs to get the results he got last season. Last night he was battered for 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched(94 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks with 6 K's, but 2 of the hits went beyond the fences. As poor as Jang was on the mound, Doug Clark was excellent at the plate. The Heroes center fielder went 5-5 with a double, a homer, a stolen base, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. He was Mr. Everything for the Seoul Heroes. His homer was part of a fake rally in the 9th inning. With the score 7-3 and the game looking very much in doubt, the Heroes fake rallied there way to a 7-6 loss. A 7-6 loss looks better than a 7-3 loss. At the plate for Hanwha, Kim Tae-gyun clubbed his 5th homer of the season.
SK 8, Lotte 2
W - Ken Kadokura(1-0), L - Cho Jeong-hoon(2-2)
Ken Kadokura turned in a very nice effort in his first KBO start. Kadokura worked 6 2/3 innings(91 pitches, 59 strikes) of 1 run baseball on six hits. He struck out 4 and didn't walk anyone. Park Jae-hong stole the headline from Kadokura by recording his 250th stolen base. Park is now the only player in the history of the KBO to record 250 homers and stolen bases. If only we had video footage of this historic event. He doesn't turn 36 until September, but he'd have to rack up at least 30 steals if he wanted to even have an outside shot of reaching 300/300. He hasn't stolen more than 20 bases in a season since 2006. He should be able to get to 300 homers sometime next year. He's currently got 277 career homers. He needs 9 more RBIs to reach 1000. Lotte starter Cho Joeng-hoon ran out of gas in the 5th inning. After being shutout for 4 innings, SK exploded for 6 runs in the 5th. SK outfielder Park Jeong-kwon hit a key homer that busted the inning wide open.
Doosan 3, KIA 0
W - Lee Jae-woo(1-0), L - Yim Joon-hyeok(0-1), S - Lee Yong chan(5)
This is the third day in a row that Doosan has won the game in the late innings. This time, Doosan and KIA were locked in a 0-0 tie that went into the 10th inning. In the top of the 10th, Doosan rallied for 3 runs off of the KIA bullpen. Kim Dong-joo scored on Jeong Soo-bin's RBI triple. After a walk to Koh Yeong-min, Jeong was driven in by SS Son Si-hyeon. Finally, Choi Seung-hwan drove in Koh on an RBI double. KIA bullpen Meltdown...complete. Doosan reliever Jin Ya-kob was asked to start and he did his best. Jin worked 4 scoreless innings(62 pitches, 40 strikes) for the Bears. He allowed only 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 K's. Senor Smoke, Aquilino Lopez, tossed 7 shutout innings(115 pitches, 68 strikes) for the Tigers. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks with 5 K's, but sadly couldn't get any help from his offense.
The Joongang Daily also gives us a write up on one of the bigger high school tournaments. I can't believe there is really a 6'8 pitcher in Korea. I've seen a few large Korean baseball players, but none at 6'8. I could see this guy generating a lot of overseas interest.
On to the roundup...
Samsung 4, LG 1
W - Francisco Cruceta(1-2), L - Shim Su-chang(1-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (5)
LG outfielder Ahn Chi-yong drove in a run on an RBI single in the first inning and that was all the offense LG was able to muster against Cruceta. Cruceta worked 6 solid innings(92 pitches, 53 strikes). He allowed only the 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk. He appeared to pitch more to contact in this game and only tallied 3 K's. Samsung rallied for 4 runs in the 6th inning. Samsung 1B Chae Tae-in hit a 2-run single to put Samsung on the board. CF Park Han-yi and SS Park Jin-man also drove in runs in the inning. Oh Seung-hwan tossed a scoreless 9th to tie for the league lead in saves. Reports of his demise were terribly premature.
Hanwha 7, Seoul Heroes 6
W - Kim Hyeok-min(2-1), L - Jang Won-sam(0-2)
Didn't Jang Won-sam used to be good? He appeared to be as good as some of the other young, hard throwing lefties in the KBO last season. This year not so much. He left this game with a 6.38 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. If the Heroes want to even fake contending, Jang needs to get the results he got last season. Last night he was battered for 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched(94 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks with 6 K's, but 2 of the hits went beyond the fences. As poor as Jang was on the mound, Doug Clark was excellent at the plate. The Heroes center fielder went 5-5 with a double, a homer, a stolen base, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. He was Mr. Everything for the Seoul Heroes. His homer was part of a fake rally in the 9th inning. With the score 7-3 and the game looking very much in doubt, the Heroes fake rallied there way to a 7-6 loss. A 7-6 loss looks better than a 7-3 loss. At the plate for Hanwha, Kim Tae-gyun clubbed his 5th homer of the season.
SK 8, Lotte 2
W - Ken Kadokura(1-0), L - Cho Jeong-hoon(2-2)
Ken Kadokura turned in a very nice effort in his first KBO start. Kadokura worked 6 2/3 innings(91 pitches, 59 strikes) of 1 run baseball on six hits. He struck out 4 and didn't walk anyone. Park Jae-hong stole the headline from Kadokura by recording his 250th stolen base. Park is now the only player in the history of the KBO to record 250 homers and stolen bases. If only we had video footage of this historic event. He doesn't turn 36 until September, but he'd have to rack up at least 30 steals if he wanted to even have an outside shot of reaching 300/300. He hasn't stolen more than 20 bases in a season since 2006. He should be able to get to 300 homers sometime next year. He's currently got 277 career homers. He needs 9 more RBIs to reach 1000. Lotte starter Cho Joeng-hoon ran out of gas in the 5th inning. After being shutout for 4 innings, SK exploded for 6 runs in the 5th. SK outfielder Park Jeong-kwon hit a key homer that busted the inning wide open.
Doosan 3, KIA 0
W - Lee Jae-woo(1-0), L - Yim Joon-hyeok(0-1), S - Lee Yong chan(5)
This is the third day in a row that Doosan has won the game in the late innings. This time, Doosan and KIA were locked in a 0-0 tie that went into the 10th inning. In the top of the 10th, Doosan rallied for 3 runs off of the KIA bullpen. Kim Dong-joo scored on Jeong Soo-bin's RBI triple. After a walk to Koh Yeong-min, Jeong was driven in by SS Son Si-hyeon. Finally, Choi Seung-hwan drove in Koh on an RBI double. KIA bullpen Meltdown...complete. Doosan reliever Jin Ya-kob was asked to start and he did his best. Jin worked 4 scoreless innings(62 pitches, 40 strikes) for the Bears. He allowed only 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 K's. Senor Smoke, Aquilino Lopez, tossed 7 shutout innings(115 pitches, 68 strikes) for the Tigers. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks with 5 K's, but sadly couldn't get any help from his offense.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
4/22 Roundup and News
Kang Seung-woo at the Korea Times discusses Korea's WBC hangover. I'm also a little surprised that Yoon has struggled. I'm not at all surprised by Kim Kwang-hyeon's struggles. He was a mess during the WBC.
LG 6, Samsung 4
W - Jeong Jae-bok(1-1), L - Bae Yong-su(0-2), S - Woo Gyu-min (2)
6-4 makes this game sound close. If it weren't for a 2 RBI double from Chae Tae-in in the 7th, the final would have been 6-2. Bae Yong-su ended his consecutive quality starts streak at 1. I can't believe it was ever that high. Bae was battered for all 6 LG runs during his 5 1/3 innings(98 pitches, 55 strikes) of work. LG starting pitcher Jeong Jae-bok threw well enough to win. Jeong worked 6 innings(106 pitches, 60 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 3 hits, 1 hit batsman and 3 walks with 3 K's. He surrendered a solo homer in the 2nd inning to veteran catcher Jin Kab-yong. Yang Joon-hyeok is still sitting at 340 homers. It would be more than a little funny if Yang hit his record breaker and the KBO didn't have it on video. The fact that this is even a possibility makes me want to punch a dolphin.
Hanwha 11, Seoul Heroes 1
W - Ryu Hyeon-jin(3-0), L - Kim Su-kyeong (1-3)
If you give Ryu Hyeon-jin a lead he's probably going to hold it. Hanwha gave Ryu a 7-run cushion to work with and he didn't disappoint. Ryu tossed 6 innings(109 pitches, 61 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and 4 walks with 7 K's. Ryu did an excellent job of pitching out of jams and didn't let the walks burn him. The Hanwha offense crushed 5 homers against a helpless Heroes pitching staff. DH Kim Tae-won hit a 2-run blast in the 2nd. RF Victor Diaz and 2B Oh Seon-jin hit solo homers and in the 9th 3B Lee Beom-ho delivered a 3-run "eff you" jack to make sure the Heroes knew they were beaten.
SK 13, Lotte 1
W - Jeon Byeon-doo(1-0), L - Song Seung-joon (0-3)
In last night's only televised game, SK absolutely hung one on Song Seung-joon. Song couldn't locate his breaking stuff and he left his fastball up. That means he was hit really, really hard. He was thumped to the tune of 8 runs in the first two innings. Half of the damage came on a grand slam home run from SK catcher Park Kyeong-won. Song managed to stick around for 4 innings, so the Lotte bullpen isn't completely blown up. Jeon Byeon-doo was the lucky beneficiary of SK's early offensive outburst. The SK starter was able to cruise to an easy W. During his 5 innings of work(88 pitches, 53 strikes) he allowed only 1 run on 5 hits and 3 walks. He did manage to strike out 8 Giants. The lone bright spot for Lotte was catcher Kang Min-ho. Kang accounted for Lotte's only run when he hit a solo homer in the 2nd inning. He finished the game 2-3 with a walk.
Doosan 6, KIA 4
W - Seong Yeong-hoon(2-0), L - Han Ki-joo (0-2), S - Lee Yong-chan (4)
Another day, another late inning Doosan comeback and this time... I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I CAN'T WATCH THE EFFING BALL GAME. For the 2nd day in a row Doosan pummelled KIA closer Han Ki-joo. Goh Yeong-min drove in 2 of the runs, but I'm unclear as to what else happened. I also don't have the time or the patience to translate an article when I have a basic idea about what happened. Here's what you need to know: Han looked awful and he blew the save. KIA starter Seo Jae-weong deserves better than this KIA bullpen. He pitched well enough to win. In his 6 innings(123 pitches, 73 strikes) of work he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman. He also struck out 7 Bears. Choi Hee-seop was the only other bright spot for KIA he thumped his 6th homer of the season in the 8th inning.
I really miss TV. I get this same feeling when I want to watch the White Sox/Cubs series on MLB.TV and the game is blacked out. I'm more than a little bummed out.
LG 6, Samsung 4
W - Jeong Jae-bok(1-1), L - Bae Yong-su(0-2), S - Woo Gyu-min (2)
6-4 makes this game sound close. If it weren't for a 2 RBI double from Chae Tae-in in the 7th, the final would have been 6-2. Bae Yong-su ended his consecutive quality starts streak at 1. I can't believe it was ever that high. Bae was battered for all 6 LG runs during his 5 1/3 innings(98 pitches, 55 strikes) of work. LG starting pitcher Jeong Jae-bok threw well enough to win. Jeong worked 6 innings(106 pitches, 60 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 3 hits, 1 hit batsman and 3 walks with 3 K's. He surrendered a solo homer in the 2nd inning to veteran catcher Jin Kab-yong. Yang Joon-hyeok is still sitting at 340 homers. It would be more than a little funny if Yang hit his record breaker and the KBO didn't have it on video. The fact that this is even a possibility makes me want to punch a dolphin.
Hanwha 11, Seoul Heroes 1
W - Ryu Hyeon-jin(3-0), L - Kim Su-kyeong (1-3)
If you give Ryu Hyeon-jin a lead he's probably going to hold it. Hanwha gave Ryu a 7-run cushion to work with and he didn't disappoint. Ryu tossed 6 innings(109 pitches, 61 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and 4 walks with 7 K's. Ryu did an excellent job of pitching out of jams and didn't let the walks burn him. The Hanwha offense crushed 5 homers against a helpless Heroes pitching staff. DH Kim Tae-won hit a 2-run blast in the 2nd. RF Victor Diaz and 2B Oh Seon-jin hit solo homers and in the 9th 3B Lee Beom-ho delivered a 3-run "eff you" jack to make sure the Heroes knew they were beaten.
SK 13, Lotte 1
W - Jeon Byeon-doo(1-0), L - Song Seung-joon (0-3)
In last night's only televised game, SK absolutely hung one on Song Seung-joon. Song couldn't locate his breaking stuff and he left his fastball up. That means he was hit really, really hard. He was thumped to the tune of 8 runs in the first two innings. Half of the damage came on a grand slam home run from SK catcher Park Kyeong-won. Song managed to stick around for 4 innings, so the Lotte bullpen isn't completely blown up. Jeon Byeon-doo was the lucky beneficiary of SK's early offensive outburst. The SK starter was able to cruise to an easy W. During his 5 innings of work(88 pitches, 53 strikes) he allowed only 1 run on 5 hits and 3 walks. He did manage to strike out 8 Giants. The lone bright spot for Lotte was catcher Kang Min-ho. Kang accounted for Lotte's only run when he hit a solo homer in the 2nd inning. He finished the game 2-3 with a walk.
Doosan 6, KIA 4
W - Seong Yeong-hoon(2-0), L - Han Ki-joo (0-2), S - Lee Yong-chan (4)
Another day, another late inning Doosan comeback and this time... I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I CAN'T WATCH THE EFFING BALL GAME. For the 2nd day in a row Doosan pummelled KIA closer Han Ki-joo. Goh Yeong-min drove in 2 of the runs, but I'm unclear as to what else happened. I also don't have the time or the patience to translate an article when I have a basic idea about what happened. Here's what you need to know: Han looked awful and he blew the save. KIA starter Seo Jae-weong deserves better than this KIA bullpen. He pitched well enough to win. In his 6 innings(123 pitches, 73 strikes) of work he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman. He also struck out 7 Bears. Choi Hee-seop was the only other bright spot for KIA he thumped his 6th homer of the season in the 8th inning.
I really miss TV. I get this same feeling when I want to watch the White Sox/Cubs series on MLB.TV and the game is blacked out. I'm more than a little bummed out.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
4/21 News and Roundup
The KBO and its broadcasting partners are involved in a dispute. Apparently, the KBO wants broadcasters to pay around 1.4 billion won for the broadcasting rights to KBO games. The broadcasters don't want to pay it because of the KBO webcast policy. The broadcasting companies claim that the webcast takes away viewers and want to be compensated for it. So, they've pulled broadcasts. The KBO has reached a deal with DealOne to broadcast one game a day, but the other companies are still holding out. This makes the KBO look like complete morons. This should have been hammered out before the season started.
SK center fielder Park Jae-hong needs one more stolen base to be the only member of the KBO's 250 homer/250 stolen base club.
I don't want to talk about how poorly written this is. Yay! Homers! Woo! A choice cut... "As each team will play 133 games ― five more than last season ― these sluggers could generate more than a minimum of 47 based on the assumption that they will hit five every 13 games." I believe they played 126 games last year. That's 7 fewer than 133. I don't want to get started on how silly the rest of this is. I just want to shake my head and forget that this guy gets paid to write about baseball for a living.
On to the effing roundup...
Samsung 5, LG 3
W - Kwon Hyeok(2-1), L - Bong Jung-geun(1-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (4)
In the only game that was broadcast on tv... at all, Samsung was able to scrape together enough of an offense to earn the W. Samsung 6-7-8 hitters, Kang Bong-gyu, Woo Dong-gyun and Cho Dong-chan, combined to go 7 for 11 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Cho's 6th inning RBI double was the only extra base hit for Samsung last evening. Reliever Ahn Ji-man was asked to start and he managed to work 4 mediocre innings before being taken out. LG Ace Bong Jung-geun continued his struggles against the Lions. After losing to Samsung on Opening Day, Bong was looking for some revenge. He didn't get it. Bong worked 6 innings(107 pitches, 64 strikes) and surrendered 5 runs. He allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman with 3 K's. Not his finest outing. Oh Seung-hwan struck out 2 batters in the 9th to help earn his 4th save.
Hanwha 8, Seoul Heroes 4
W - Ahn Yeong-Myeong(2-0), L - Ma Il-yeong (2-2)
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong was terrible. He allowed 7 runs over 4 2/3 innings(82 pitches, 54 strikes) pitched, but he allowed 6 runs in the first inning. Lee Beom-ho connected for a grand slam to account for the majority of the damage. Eagles starter Ahn Yeong-myeong wasn't much better, but he was able to hold the lead. Ahn tossed 5 1/3 innings(66 pitches, 43 strikes). He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 K's. 3 of the 6 hits didn't stay in the park. Doug Clark, Lee Sung-yong and Song Ji-man all connected for solo homers off of Ahn.
SK 9, Lotte 1
W - Goh Hyo-joon(2-0), L - Jang Won-joon (0-3)
SK jumped all over Jang Won-joon early. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong clubbed a 3-run bomb in the 3rd off of Jang to give SK a 5-0 lead SK managed to tack on a few insurance runs and the lead to 7-0 before Lotte would get on the scoreboard in the 6th. Kang Min-ho delivered an RBI single to give Lotte its only run. With the early lead, SK starter Goh Hyo-joon was able to cruise to an easy W. Goh stuck around for 5 1/3 innings(105 pitches, 66 strikes) before his pitch count demanded his removal. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits, 4 walk and 1 hit batter. He managed to record 6 strikeouts during his outing. SK lead off man Jeong Geun-woo continued to swing a hot bat. He finished the night 3-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Doosan 9, KIA 5
W - Yim Tae-hoon(1-0), L - Han Ki-joo (0-1)
KIA held a 5-4 lead heading into the 9th, but Doosan struck for a 5-run rally to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat. It appears that Han Ki-joo was asked to work 2 innings, but didn't have anything after sitting in the dugout during the KIA half of the 8th inning. I'd love to give more detail, but I don't live in Gwangju and the game wasn't broadcast. I can't even look at highlights because they weren't recorded. KIA starter Rick Guttormson struggled against Doosan. I'm guessing he didn't find the patient Doosan team as much fun to throw to as the swing at everything Lotte team. Rick didn't make it out of the 4th. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok clubbed his league leading 6th homer last night. It would've been nice to have seen it. Choi has shown this power before, in 2007 he clubbed 16 homers and drove in 75 in 386 AB's, but he had a terrible 2008 season. He spent most of the season on the bench and couldn't figure anything out last year. He struck out 46 times in only 169 at bats. I'm buying the power #'s. I think he can mash, but I'm not buying the batting average. He's currently hitting .440. I don't think he'll finish over .300, let alone .400.
I miss TV broadcasts.
SK center fielder Park Jae-hong needs one more stolen base to be the only member of the KBO's 250 homer/250 stolen base club.
I don't want to talk about how poorly written this is. Yay! Homers! Woo! A choice cut... "As each team will play 133 games ― five more than last season ― these sluggers could generate more than a minimum of 47 based on the assumption that they will hit five every 13 games." I believe they played 126 games last year. That's 7 fewer than 133. I don't want to get started on how silly the rest of this is. I just want to shake my head and forget that this guy gets paid to write about baseball for a living.
On to the effing roundup...
Samsung 5, LG 3
W - Kwon Hyeok(2-1), L - Bong Jung-geun(1-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (4)
In the only game that was broadcast on tv... at all, Samsung was able to scrape together enough of an offense to earn the W. Samsung 6-7-8 hitters, Kang Bong-gyu, Woo Dong-gyun and Cho Dong-chan, combined to go 7 for 11 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Cho's 6th inning RBI double was the only extra base hit for Samsung last evening. Reliever Ahn Ji-man was asked to start and he managed to work 4 mediocre innings before being taken out. LG Ace Bong Jung-geun continued his struggles against the Lions. After losing to Samsung on Opening Day, Bong was looking for some revenge. He didn't get it. Bong worked 6 innings(107 pitches, 64 strikes) and surrendered 5 runs. He allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman with 3 K's. Not his finest outing. Oh Seung-hwan struck out 2 batters in the 9th to help earn his 4th save.
Hanwha 8, Seoul Heroes 4
W - Ahn Yeong-Myeong(2-0), L - Ma Il-yeong (2-2)
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong was terrible. He allowed 7 runs over 4 2/3 innings(82 pitches, 54 strikes) pitched, but he allowed 6 runs in the first inning. Lee Beom-ho connected for a grand slam to account for the majority of the damage. Eagles starter Ahn Yeong-myeong wasn't much better, but he was able to hold the lead. Ahn tossed 5 1/3 innings(66 pitches, 43 strikes). He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 K's. 3 of the 6 hits didn't stay in the park. Doug Clark, Lee Sung-yong and Song Ji-man all connected for solo homers off of Ahn.
SK 9, Lotte 1
W - Goh Hyo-joon(2-0), L - Jang Won-joon (0-3)
SK jumped all over Jang Won-joon early. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong clubbed a 3-run bomb in the 3rd off of Jang to give SK a 5-0 lead SK managed to tack on a few insurance runs and the lead to 7-0 before Lotte would get on the scoreboard in the 6th. Kang Min-ho delivered an RBI single to give Lotte its only run. With the early lead, SK starter Goh Hyo-joon was able to cruise to an easy W. Goh stuck around for 5 1/3 innings(105 pitches, 66 strikes) before his pitch count demanded his removal. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits, 4 walk and 1 hit batter. He managed to record 6 strikeouts during his outing. SK lead off man Jeong Geun-woo continued to swing a hot bat. He finished the night 3-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Doosan 9, KIA 5
W - Yim Tae-hoon(1-0), L - Han Ki-joo (0-1)
KIA held a 5-4 lead heading into the 9th, but Doosan struck for a 5-run rally to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat. It appears that Han Ki-joo was asked to work 2 innings, but didn't have anything after sitting in the dugout during the KIA half of the 8th inning. I'd love to give more detail, but I don't live in Gwangju and the game wasn't broadcast. I can't even look at highlights because they weren't recorded. KIA starter Rick Guttormson struggled against Doosan. I'm guessing he didn't find the patient Doosan team as much fun to throw to as the swing at everything Lotte team. Rick didn't make it out of the 4th. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok clubbed his league leading 6th homer last night. It would've been nice to have seen it. Choi has shown this power before, in 2007 he clubbed 16 homers and drove in 75 in 386 AB's, but he had a terrible 2008 season. He spent most of the season on the bench and couldn't figure anything out last year. He struck out 46 times in only 169 at bats. I'm buying the power #'s. I think he can mash, but I'm not buying the batting average. He's currently hitting .440. I don't think he'll finish over .300, let alone .400.
I miss TV broadcasts.
Monday, April 20, 2009
4/17 - 4/19 Weekend Roundup and News
No real news of any kind to report on. I guess Park Chan-ho didn't start this weekend.
KIA ace Yoon Seok-min struggled on Saturday. He only lasted 4 innings(59 pitches, 40 strikes). Yoon was knocked around for 5 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks before making his early exit. He failed to strike out a single batter. The only offense KIA could muster was a solo homer from Kim Won-seob and a SAC fly from Lee Jong-beom. Both LG 2nd baseman Park Kyeong-su and Shortstop Kwon Yeong-kwan drove in a pair. Kwon finished the game 2-4 with a homer and 2 runs scored.
It was KIA's turn to get a solid pitching effort on Sunday. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jeong tossed 5 innings(90 pitches, 53 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Relievers Yoo Dong-hoon and Yim Joon-hyeok combined to throw 4 innings of shutout baseball. They kept LG off the bases and off the scoreboard, but didn't earn so much as a save or a hold while Yang got a W. When I say Choi Hee-seop had a big day at the plate I don't mean that he went to an All You Can Eat Buffet. He FEASTED on LG pitching. Actually, he went 4-4 with a pair of solo homers, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Happy?
Lotte vs. Seoul Heroes
4/17 - Lotte 13, Heroes 8
4/18 - Lotte 5, Heroes 0
4/19 - Heroes 6, Lotte 2
Lotte battered Heroes pitching for 6 homeruns on Friday night. Karim Garcia lead the way with a 2-run bomb in the 7th and a solo shot in the 9th. Lee Dae-ho, Kim Joo-chan, Kang Min-ho and Lee In-gu also went deep for the Giants. The Seoul Heroes foreign guys also did well on Friday. Clark and Brumbaugh combined to go 4 for 10 with 5 RBI and 4 K's. This was just an ugly, long game.
On Satuday, Lotte Giants starter Kim Il-yeob was pulled after only 2 2/3 innings of work. He didn't appear to leave because of injury. I'm guessing he reached a set pitch count. 4 Lotte relievers combined to finish the shutout. Lee Jong Min notched a 3 inning save. At the plate, the homers continued. All 5 Lotte runs were hit via the longball. Cho Seong-hwan and Karim Garcia both hit 2-run bombs in the 4th inning. Lee Dae-ho added a solo shot in the 8th inning.
The Heroes finally got some pitching on Sunday and got themselves a W. Lee Hyeon-seung worked 6 solid innings(94 pitches, 63 strikes) of 2-run ball. He allowed only 5 hits and 1 walk with 4 K's while earning the W. It's still early in the season, but Lee is quietly among the league leaders in most pitching categories. Hwang Doo-seong struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced to nail down his 4th save. At the plate for the Heroes, 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun delivered a key 2 RBI double to give the Heroes a 2-1 lead in the 3rd inning. He would later score what would prove to be the winning run in the same inning on an RBI single from Doug Clark.
Hanwha vs. SK
4/17 - SK 10, Hanwha 9
4/18 - SK 9, Hanwha 4 (10)
4/19 - SK 8, Hanwha 2
Friday night's game was a typical 2009 KBO slugfest. The two teams combined for 6 homers. Hanwha was down 9-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning, but managed to rally for 4 runs in the 6th and again in the 7th to tie the game at 9. After finishing the 8th inning, Hanwha closer Brad Thomas stayed on for the 9th. He was more than a little wild. He loaded the bases with one out. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a fly ball to deep right. The throw from Victor Diaz wasn't even close to home plate. The winning run crossed easily. SK ace Kim Kwang-hyeon had a rough outing against the Eagles. Kim threw 5 1/3 innings(107 pitches, 64 strikes) before exiting. Kim allowed 5 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks with only 4 K's. SK outfielder Park Jae-hong had solid night at the plate, but he had to exit the game in the 9th inning after he was drilled in the leg by a Brad Thomas fastball. Park finished 2-5 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
It's not everyday you see a 9-4 final in 10 innings. SK absolutely battered Kim Baek-man. Actually, I'm convinced that Yang Hoon convinced Kim to switch jerseys. Yang threw 2 innings of relief without allowing a run and in fact looked like a competent pitcher, while Kim threw BP. When the dust settled, Kim was charged with 5 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk in only 2/3 of an inning. Wait. That can't be right. Either I'm wrong or the box score and highlights are. Whatever. This game also featured the KBO debut of Ken Kadokura. Kadokura threw 7 innings in relief of Lee Seung-ho. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 hit batsmen and 3 walks. He also recorded 5 K's during his 117-pitch relief appearance. I'm guessing he starts his next game.
On Sunday, SK rode a 3-homer offensive outburst and a solid start from Song Eun-beom to victory. Song threw 7 solid innings(108 pitches, 71 strikes) of 1-run ball. He allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk with 8 K's. After being limited to part-time duty on Saturday, Park Jae-hong returned to the lineup with a homer in the 1st inning. SK 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo also had a solid day from the lead off spot. Park went 4-4 with 2 doubles, a walk, a stolen base and 1 run scored. DH Victor Diaz was the lone bright spot for the Eagles. He homered for the 2nd time in as many days on Sunday.
Samsung vs. Doosan
4/17 - Doosan 13, Samsung 4
4/18 - Samsung 12, Doosan 3
4/19 - Samsung 5, Doosan 4
Doosan absolutely hung one on Samsung on Friday. The score was 12-0 before the 3rd inning was over. 13-4 makes this game sound close, but that didn't stop Doosan from using 7 different pitchers. Doosan exploded for a 4-run 2nd and a 6-run 3rd inning. Kim Dong-ju, Choi Joon-seok and Son Si-hyeon all delivered 3 RBI efforts for Doosan. Francisco Cruceta was awful again. Only 38 of his 78 pitches thrown went for strikes. He allowed 8 runs(5 earned) on 5 hits and 6 walks. Somehow, he struck out 5 batters. The lone bright spot for the Lions was outfielder Woo Dong-gyun's grand slam in the 4th inning. Woo's homer accounted for all of Samsung's offense in this game.
Samsung got some measure of revenge on Saturday with their 12-3 trouncing of the Bears. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in exploded with a 2 homer, 4 RBI effort, while Yoon Seong-hwan provided solid pitching. Yoon worked 6 innings(94 pitches, 65 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 7 hits with 6 K's. Yoon really has emerged as the staff ace for this Samsung team. Here's hoping it continues. Samsung 3rd baseman Park Seok-min also had a nice night at the plate. Park finished 3-3 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. It's nice to see him heating up after a rough start.
Kim Sun-woo wasn't able to continue his solid start on Sunday. He was battered for 5 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in only 1 2/3 innings of work. Samsung and Doosan scored all 9 runs in the first 4 innings and watched the bullpens put up 0 after 0 for 5 innings. Veteran Samsung infielder Shin Myeong-cheol went 3-4 with a first inning homer, 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored while left fielder Kim Hyeon-su and 1st baseman Choi Jun-seok both clubbed solo homers for Doosan. Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan notched his 3rd save with a 1-2-3 9th inning.
KIA vs. LG
4/17 - KIA 14, LG 0
4/18 - LG 7, KIA 2
4/19 - LG 9, KIA 2
4/17 - KIA 14, LG 0
4/18 - LG 7, KIA 2
4/19 - LG 9, KIA 2
On Friday night KIA absolutely battered LG pitching while Senor Smoke, Aquilino Lopez, cruised to an easy victory. Lopez tossed 7 strong innings(101 pitches, 66 strikes) of shutout baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 K's. KIA catcher Kim Sang-hoon exploded at the plate. Literally. Boom! He walked up to the plate, started sweating and burst into a fireball.* Before he blew up, he mashed 2 homers while driving in 6 runs. KIA's Rookie infielder Ahn Chi-hong was able to keep himself in one piece and hit another homerun. Outfielder Na Ji-wan also went deep for KIA.
* = did not actually happen, except in the blogger's mind. Sometimes Matt gets a little restless and his mind wanders.
* = did not actually happen, except in the blogger's mind. Sometimes Matt gets a little restless and his mind wanders.
KIA ace Yoon Seok-min struggled on Saturday. He only lasted 4 innings(59 pitches, 40 strikes). Yoon was knocked around for 5 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks before making his early exit. He failed to strike out a single batter. The only offense KIA could muster was a solo homer from Kim Won-seob and a SAC fly from Lee Jong-beom. Both LG 2nd baseman Park Kyeong-su and Shortstop Kwon Yeong-kwan drove in a pair. Kwon finished the game 2-4 with a homer and 2 runs scored.
It was KIA's turn to get a solid pitching effort on Sunday. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jeong tossed 5 innings(90 pitches, 53 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Relievers Yoo Dong-hoon and Yim Joon-hyeok combined to throw 4 innings of shutout baseball. They kept LG off the bases and off the scoreboard, but didn't earn so much as a save or a hold while Yang got a W. When I say Choi Hee-seop had a big day at the plate I don't mean that he went to an All You Can Eat Buffet. He FEASTED on LG pitching. Actually, he went 4-4 with a pair of solo homers, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Happy?
Lotte vs. Seoul Heroes
4/17 - Lotte 13, Heroes 8
4/18 - Lotte 5, Heroes 0
4/19 - Heroes 6, Lotte 2
Lotte battered Heroes pitching for 6 homeruns on Friday night. Karim Garcia lead the way with a 2-run bomb in the 7th and a solo shot in the 9th. Lee Dae-ho, Kim Joo-chan, Kang Min-ho and Lee In-gu also went deep for the Giants. The Seoul Heroes foreign guys also did well on Friday. Clark and Brumbaugh combined to go 4 for 10 with 5 RBI and 4 K's. This was just an ugly, long game.
On Satuday, Lotte Giants starter Kim Il-yeob was pulled after only 2 2/3 innings of work. He didn't appear to leave because of injury. I'm guessing he reached a set pitch count. 4 Lotte relievers combined to finish the shutout. Lee Jong Min notched a 3 inning save. At the plate, the homers continued. All 5 Lotte runs were hit via the longball. Cho Seong-hwan and Karim Garcia both hit 2-run bombs in the 4th inning. Lee Dae-ho added a solo shot in the 8th inning.
The Heroes finally got some pitching on Sunday and got themselves a W. Lee Hyeon-seung worked 6 solid innings(94 pitches, 63 strikes) of 2-run ball. He allowed only 5 hits and 1 walk with 4 K's while earning the W. It's still early in the season, but Lee is quietly among the league leaders in most pitching categories. Hwang Doo-seong struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced to nail down his 4th save. At the plate for the Heroes, 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun delivered a key 2 RBI double to give the Heroes a 2-1 lead in the 3rd inning. He would later score what would prove to be the winning run in the same inning on an RBI single from Doug Clark.
Hanwha vs. SK
4/17 - SK 10, Hanwha 9
4/18 - SK 9, Hanwha 4 (10)
4/19 - SK 8, Hanwha 2
Friday night's game was a typical 2009 KBO slugfest. The two teams combined for 6 homers. Hanwha was down 9-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning, but managed to rally for 4 runs in the 6th and again in the 7th to tie the game at 9. After finishing the 8th inning, Hanwha closer Brad Thomas stayed on for the 9th. He was more than a little wild. He loaded the bases with one out. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a fly ball to deep right. The throw from Victor Diaz wasn't even close to home plate. The winning run crossed easily. SK ace Kim Kwang-hyeon had a rough outing against the Eagles. Kim threw 5 1/3 innings(107 pitches, 64 strikes) before exiting. Kim allowed 5 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks with only 4 K's. SK outfielder Park Jae-hong had solid night at the plate, but he had to exit the game in the 9th inning after he was drilled in the leg by a Brad Thomas fastball. Park finished 2-5 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
It's not everyday you see a 9-4 final in 10 innings. SK absolutely battered Kim Baek-man. Actually, I'm convinced that Yang Hoon convinced Kim to switch jerseys. Yang threw 2 innings of relief without allowing a run and in fact looked like a competent pitcher, while Kim threw BP. When the dust settled, Kim was charged with 5 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk in only 2/3 of an inning. Wait. That can't be right. Either I'm wrong or the box score and highlights are. Whatever. This game also featured the KBO debut of Ken Kadokura. Kadokura threw 7 innings in relief of Lee Seung-ho. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 hit batsmen and 3 walks. He also recorded 5 K's during his 117-pitch relief appearance. I'm guessing he starts his next game.
On Sunday, SK rode a 3-homer offensive outburst and a solid start from Song Eun-beom to victory. Song threw 7 solid innings(108 pitches, 71 strikes) of 1-run ball. He allowed only 3 hits and 1 walk with 8 K's. After being limited to part-time duty on Saturday, Park Jae-hong returned to the lineup with a homer in the 1st inning. SK 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo also had a solid day from the lead off spot. Park went 4-4 with 2 doubles, a walk, a stolen base and 1 run scored. DH Victor Diaz was the lone bright spot for the Eagles. He homered for the 2nd time in as many days on Sunday.
Samsung vs. Doosan
4/17 - Doosan 13, Samsung 4
4/18 - Samsung 12, Doosan 3
4/19 - Samsung 5, Doosan 4
Doosan absolutely hung one on Samsung on Friday. The score was 12-0 before the 3rd inning was over. 13-4 makes this game sound close, but that didn't stop Doosan from using 7 different pitchers. Doosan exploded for a 4-run 2nd and a 6-run 3rd inning. Kim Dong-ju, Choi Joon-seok and Son Si-hyeon all delivered 3 RBI efforts for Doosan. Francisco Cruceta was awful again. Only 38 of his 78 pitches thrown went for strikes. He allowed 8 runs(5 earned) on 5 hits and 6 walks. Somehow, he struck out 5 batters. The lone bright spot for the Lions was outfielder Woo Dong-gyun's grand slam in the 4th inning. Woo's homer accounted for all of Samsung's offense in this game.
Samsung got some measure of revenge on Saturday with their 12-3 trouncing of the Bears. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in exploded with a 2 homer, 4 RBI effort, while Yoon Seong-hwan provided solid pitching. Yoon worked 6 innings(94 pitches, 65 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 7 hits with 6 K's. Yoon really has emerged as the staff ace for this Samsung team. Here's hoping it continues. Samsung 3rd baseman Park Seok-min also had a nice night at the plate. Park finished 3-3 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. It's nice to see him heating up after a rough start.
Kim Sun-woo wasn't able to continue his solid start on Sunday. He was battered for 5 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in only 1 2/3 innings of work. Samsung and Doosan scored all 9 runs in the first 4 innings and watched the bullpens put up 0 after 0 for 5 innings. Veteran Samsung infielder Shin Myeong-cheol went 3-4 with a first inning homer, 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored while left fielder Kim Hyeon-su and 1st baseman Choi Jun-seok both clubbed solo homers for Doosan. Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan notched his 3rd save with a 1-2-3 9th inning.
Friday, April 17, 2009
4/16 Roundup and News
Seoul Heroes 1, Doosan 0
W - Ma Il-yeong (2-1), L - Kim Sang-hyeon (0-1), S - Hwang Doo-seong (3)
Kim Sang-hyeon was good, but Ma Il-yeong was better. The Heroes ace threw 8 shutout innings(119 pitches, 77 strikes) before giving way to Hwang in the 9th inning. Ma allowed 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 6 Bears during his impressive outing. In the 7th inning, Kim surrendered a lead off walk to Heroes 1st baseman Oh Jae-il. The next batter, Song Ji-man, singled to center. Song's single put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Kang Jeong-ho attempted to get the runners over with a bunt, but Oh was forced out at third. Then things got weird. Catcher Ho Joon hit a grounder to the 2nd baseman. The runner on first(Kang) only advanced half way while Ho was tagged out at first. Kang was trapped in a rundown, but no one paid any attention to Song, who raced from 2nd to home while Kang was trying to fake out the Doosan infield. The run score 1-0 Heroes. That's why Kim was charged with the loss. It only took Kim 98 pitches(75 strikes) to throw a complete game. He allowed 6 hits and 1 walk with 5 K's. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong threw a perfect 9th inning to record his 3rd save.
LG 6, SK 5 (10)
W - Jeong Chan-heon (2-0), L - Jeong Woo-ram (0-1)
LG lead this game 5-1 after a 4-run 6th inning rally. With 1 out and a runner on first, Choi Dong-su doubled to the gap in left center to score the first run of the inning. The next batter, 3rd baseman Jeong Seong-hoon, hit an infield single up the middle to put runners at the corners with 1 out. LG center fielder Lee Jin-yeong tripled to the gap in right center to score 2 more. Then, Kim Sang-hyeon hit an RBI single up the middle to score Lee. In the 8th inning, SK rallied to tie the game at 5. The rally started with a 2-run homerun off the bat of SK pinch hitter Park Jae-hong. Then, with a runner on 1st and 2 outs, SK DH Kim Jae-hyeon struck for another 2-run bomb to tie the game. The game was tied until the top of the 10th. With 2 outs and the bases empty, Jeong Seong-hoon struck again with a single. Lee Jin-yeong drilled a deep fly to left/center that fell for a base hit. Jeong was able to score from first while Lee was safe at 2nd with a standup double. Jeong Chan-heon threw a 1-2-3 10th to earn his 2nd relief win.
Samsung 8, Hanwha 2
W - Kwon Hyeok (1-1), L - Yang Hoon (0-1)
If I were Ryu Hyeon-jin, I would threaten to retire if Hanwha continues to use Yang Hoon in a game that isn't lopsided. Mr. Cy Yuck came in after Ryu had worked 7 innings(112 pitches, 68 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Ryu allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with 8 K's. Yang came in and the floodgates opened. Samsung started slapping doubles all over the place. Samsung DH Yang Joon-hyeok started the rally with a ground rule double. He hit a ball off the fence that bounced into the seats. There was some controversey over whether the hit was his 341st homerun or not, but it was pretty clear that the ball hit the padding on the fence before bouncing over the screen. Even without a replay. By the time the dust settled Samsung had rallied for 6 runs. 4 of the 6 belonged to Mr. Yang. Here's a question, when Yang stands in the dugout does he feel like a poser? Samsung 3rd baseman Park Seok-min finally broke out with a big game. Park finished the night 2-3 with a homer, 3 RBIs, 1 run scored and a walk. For some reason, Oh Seung-hwan pitched the 9th inning. He struck out the side, but I have to wonder why he was involved in a blowout. I guess they still think he has a shot at pitching past 30. The goal here has to be to burn him out before July.
KIA 3, Lotte 2
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (1-0), L - Song Seung-joon (0-2), S - Han Ki-joo (2)
Is it just me or is the Lotte offense awful right now? If it weren't for Kang Min-ho's recent heroics, this team would only have 2 wins in its first 11. Not good. KIA starter Kwak Jeong-cheol was exactly what he needed to be. He was good enough. In Kwak's 6 innings(85 pitches, 52 strikes) of work he allowed only 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He recorded 5 K's on the evening. The score was tied at 2 heading into the top of the 5th. KIA 3rd baseman Lee Hyeon-gon clubbed a solo homer to untie the game. Lee's homer proved to be the only cushion KIA would need. After Kwak's strong effort, Yoo Dong-hoon and Han Ki-joo allowed only 2 baserunners while recording the final 9 outs.
W - Ma Il-yeong (2-1), L - Kim Sang-hyeon (0-1), S - Hwang Doo-seong (3)
Kim Sang-hyeon was good, but Ma Il-yeong was better. The Heroes ace threw 8 shutout innings(119 pitches, 77 strikes) before giving way to Hwang in the 9th inning. Ma allowed 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 6 Bears during his impressive outing. In the 7th inning, Kim surrendered a lead off walk to Heroes 1st baseman Oh Jae-il. The next batter, Song Ji-man, singled to center. Song's single put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Kang Jeong-ho attempted to get the runners over with a bunt, but Oh was forced out at third. Then things got weird. Catcher Ho Joon hit a grounder to the 2nd baseman. The runner on first(Kang) only advanced half way while Ho was tagged out at first. Kang was trapped in a rundown, but no one paid any attention to Song, who raced from 2nd to home while Kang was trying to fake out the Doosan infield. The run score 1-0 Heroes. That's why Kim was charged with the loss. It only took Kim 98 pitches(75 strikes) to throw a complete game. He allowed 6 hits and 1 walk with 5 K's. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong threw a perfect 9th inning to record his 3rd save.
LG 6, SK 5 (10)
W - Jeong Chan-heon (2-0), L - Jeong Woo-ram (0-1)
LG lead this game 5-1 after a 4-run 6th inning rally. With 1 out and a runner on first, Choi Dong-su doubled to the gap in left center to score the first run of the inning. The next batter, 3rd baseman Jeong Seong-hoon, hit an infield single up the middle to put runners at the corners with 1 out. LG center fielder Lee Jin-yeong tripled to the gap in right center to score 2 more. Then, Kim Sang-hyeon hit an RBI single up the middle to score Lee. In the 8th inning, SK rallied to tie the game at 5. The rally started with a 2-run homerun off the bat of SK pinch hitter Park Jae-hong. Then, with a runner on 1st and 2 outs, SK DH Kim Jae-hyeon struck for another 2-run bomb to tie the game. The game was tied until the top of the 10th. With 2 outs and the bases empty, Jeong Seong-hoon struck again with a single. Lee Jin-yeong drilled a deep fly to left/center that fell for a base hit. Jeong was able to score from first while Lee was safe at 2nd with a standup double. Jeong Chan-heon threw a 1-2-3 10th to earn his 2nd relief win.
Samsung 8, Hanwha 2
W - Kwon Hyeok (1-1), L - Yang Hoon (0-1)
If I were Ryu Hyeon-jin, I would threaten to retire if Hanwha continues to use Yang Hoon in a game that isn't lopsided. Mr. Cy Yuck came in after Ryu had worked 7 innings(112 pitches, 68 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Ryu allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with 8 K's. Yang came in and the floodgates opened. Samsung started slapping doubles all over the place. Samsung DH Yang Joon-hyeok started the rally with a ground rule double. He hit a ball off the fence that bounced into the seats. There was some controversey over whether the hit was his 341st homerun or not, but it was pretty clear that the ball hit the padding on the fence before bouncing over the screen. Even without a replay. By the time the dust settled Samsung had rallied for 6 runs. 4 of the 6 belonged to Mr. Yang. Here's a question, when Yang stands in the dugout does he feel like a poser? Samsung 3rd baseman Park Seok-min finally broke out with a big game. Park finished the night 2-3 with a homer, 3 RBIs, 1 run scored and a walk. For some reason, Oh Seung-hwan pitched the 9th inning. He struck out the side, but I have to wonder why he was involved in a blowout. I guess they still think he has a shot at pitching past 30. The goal here has to be to burn him out before July.
KIA 3, Lotte 2
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (1-0), L - Song Seung-joon (0-2), S - Han Ki-joo (2)
Is it just me or is the Lotte offense awful right now? If it weren't for Kang Min-ho's recent heroics, this team would only have 2 wins in its first 11. Not good. KIA starter Kwak Jeong-cheol was exactly what he needed to be. He was good enough. In Kwak's 6 innings(85 pitches, 52 strikes) of work he allowed only 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He recorded 5 K's on the evening. The score was tied at 2 heading into the top of the 5th. KIA 3rd baseman Lee Hyeon-gon clubbed a solo homer to untie the game. Lee's homer proved to be the only cushion KIA would need. After Kwak's strong effort, Yoo Dong-hoon and Han Ki-joo allowed only 2 baserunners while recording the final 9 outs.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
4/15 Roundup and News
The Doosan/Seoul Heroes and Hanwha/Samsung games were both rained out last night.
If you want to read a day late translation of a Naver article from the Korea Times on Yang Joon-hyeok, here you go.
Jason at the Joongang Daily discusses the rising attendance this season.
Am I the only one that thinks a baseball stadium for roughly $40 million sounds cheap? The baseball facilities do need to be upgraded in Korea, but I'd like to see some thought put into it. You know, build a good stadium instead of building a crappy stadium really quickly. I just hope they remember to build adequate parking facilities.
Lotte 1, KIA 0
W - Jon Adkins (1-0), L - Kim Yeong-su (0-1)
If you go back to Sunday's game against Hanwha and include the first 8 innings of this game, Lotte had been shutout for 19 consecutive innings. Kang Min-ho ended the drought in the 9th inning when he drove in pinch runner Choi Man-ho with a game-winning single. KIA's Seo Jae-weong and Lotte's Jang Won-joon were both very good. Seo was a little wild during his 7 innings of work(117 pitches, 76 strikes), but he was able to keep Lotte off the scoreboard. He took a no-hitter into the 6th. Seo allowed 2 hits and 5 walks. He recorded 6 strikeouts on the evening. Jang was a little better. He threw 8 shutout innings(96 pitches, 61 strikes) and he allowed only 5 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 4 Tigers. Royster was grilled about his use of the bullpen after the game. It sounded like the announce crew wanted to know why he pulled Kang Yeong-sik after only 2 batters. He says he was simply playing matchups and that's the way he's always done it. He wanted Adkins to face the righty.
SK 4, LG 4
SK held a 3-0 lead heading into the top of the 6th, but a 4 run rally left the Wyverns staring at a 4-3 deficit. With a runner on first and 1 out, LG 3rd baseman Jeong Dong-su hit a Jeon Byeong-doo pitch over the left field fence to make the score 3-2. Lee Jin-yeong legged out an infield single to put a runner on for Choi Dong-su. Kim Won-hyeong came in to relieve Jeon. Choi promptly hit a 2-run homer to give LG a 4-3 advantage. The score would remain 4-3, until the bottom of the 9th. Woo Gyu-min came in to relieve LG ace Bong Jung-geun. Bong had worked 8 solid innings(111 pitches, 71 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks with 8 K's. Pinch hitter, Park Jeong-kwon lead off the inning with an infield single. It was a slow bouncer up the middle that took FOR...E...VER to reach the shortstop. Na Ju-hwan bunted Park over to 2nd. Pinch hitter Kim Jae-hyeon bounced out to short. Jeong-kwon was unable to advance. The next batter, SK 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo, drilled a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a base hit. Park was able to score standing up on a fairly mediocre throw from LG centerfielder Lee Jin-yeong to tie the game at 4. On to extras. Nothing remotely interesting happened until the bottom of the 12th. SK had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, but quickly grounded into a double play and a force out to end the game.
If you want to read a day late translation of a Naver article from the Korea Times on Yang Joon-hyeok, here you go.
Jason at the Joongang Daily discusses the rising attendance this season.
Am I the only one that thinks a baseball stadium for roughly $40 million sounds cheap? The baseball facilities do need to be upgraded in Korea, but I'd like to see some thought put into it. You know, build a good stadium instead of building a crappy stadium really quickly. I just hope they remember to build adequate parking facilities.
Lotte 1, KIA 0
W - Jon Adkins (1-0), L - Kim Yeong-su (0-1)
If you go back to Sunday's game against Hanwha and include the first 8 innings of this game, Lotte had been shutout for 19 consecutive innings. Kang Min-ho ended the drought in the 9th inning when he drove in pinch runner Choi Man-ho with a game-winning single. KIA's Seo Jae-weong and Lotte's Jang Won-joon were both very good. Seo was a little wild during his 7 innings of work(117 pitches, 76 strikes), but he was able to keep Lotte off the scoreboard. He took a no-hitter into the 6th. Seo allowed 2 hits and 5 walks. He recorded 6 strikeouts on the evening. Jang was a little better. He threw 8 shutout innings(96 pitches, 61 strikes) and he allowed only 5 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 4 Tigers. Royster was grilled about his use of the bullpen after the game. It sounded like the announce crew wanted to know why he pulled Kang Yeong-sik after only 2 batters. He says he was simply playing matchups and that's the way he's always done it. He wanted Adkins to face the righty.
SK 4, LG 4
SK held a 3-0 lead heading into the top of the 6th, but a 4 run rally left the Wyverns staring at a 4-3 deficit. With a runner on first and 1 out, LG 3rd baseman Jeong Dong-su hit a Jeon Byeong-doo pitch over the left field fence to make the score 3-2. Lee Jin-yeong legged out an infield single to put a runner on for Choi Dong-su. Kim Won-hyeong came in to relieve Jeon. Choi promptly hit a 2-run homer to give LG a 4-3 advantage. The score would remain 4-3, until the bottom of the 9th. Woo Gyu-min came in to relieve LG ace Bong Jung-geun. Bong had worked 8 solid innings(111 pitches, 71 strikes). He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks with 8 K's. Pinch hitter, Park Jeong-kwon lead off the inning with an infield single. It was a slow bouncer up the middle that took FOR...E...VER to reach the shortstop. Na Ju-hwan bunted Park over to 2nd. Pinch hitter Kim Jae-hyeon bounced out to short. Jeong-kwon was unable to advance. The next batter, SK 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo, drilled a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a base hit. Park was able to score standing up on a fairly mediocre throw from LG centerfielder Lee Jin-yeong to tie the game at 4. On to extras. Nothing remotely interesting happened until the bottom of the 12th. SK had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, but quickly grounded into a double play and a force out to end the game.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
4/14 Roundup and News
Seoul Heroes 2, Doosan 1
W - Lee Hyeon-seung(2-0) , L - Kim Sun-woo(2-1), S - Hwang Doo-seong (2)
Kim Sun-woo deserved better. The former Boston Red Sox hurler worked 8 solid innings(105 pitches, 73 strikes) of 2-run ball and was stuck with a loss. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun clubbed a solo homer in the first inning to put the Heroes on the board. In the 5th, Heroes catcher Kang Gui-tae lifted a line drive into left to score Kang Jeong-ho from 2nd. Doosan's only run didn't come until the 9th inning. Rightfielder Yim Jae-cheol hit a line drive down the right field line that landed just under Doug Clark's glove and rolled to the wall. The run scored easily and Yim had a standup triple. The next batter, Lee Jong-wook, struck out staring to end the game. The Heroes got 7 shutout innings(117 pitches, 67 strikes) from Lee Hyeon-seung. Lee allowed 7 hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 6.
W - Lee Hyeon-seung(2-0) , L - Kim Sun-woo(2-1), S - Hwang Doo-seong (2)
Kim Sun-woo deserved better. The former Boston Red Sox hurler worked 8 solid innings(105 pitches, 73 strikes) of 2-run ball and was stuck with a loss. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun clubbed a solo homer in the first inning to put the Heroes on the board. In the 5th, Heroes catcher Kang Gui-tae lifted a line drive into left to score Kang Jeong-ho from 2nd. Doosan's only run didn't come until the 9th inning. Rightfielder Yim Jae-cheol hit a line drive down the right field line that landed just under Doug Clark's glove and rolled to the wall. The run scored easily and Yim had a standup triple. The next batter, Lee Jong-wook, struck out staring to end the game. The Heroes got 7 shutout innings(117 pitches, 67 strikes) from Lee Hyeon-seung. Lee allowed 7 hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 6.
LG 7, SK 3
W - Choi Dong-hwan(1-1) , L - Kim Won-hyeong (0-1)
LG was blanked for the first 4 innings by SK starter Chae Byeong-yong. LG broke through in the 5th inning against Chae and scored in every inning for the rest of the game. LG DH Choi Dong-su turned in a fine effort at the plate. Choi went 2-4 with a double, a homer, 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored. LG used 6 pitchers last night and only one, starter Lee Beom-joon, gave up any runs. The LG bullpen held a lead for 4 2/3 innings. Wonders never cease.
Hanwha 7, Samsung 5
W - Ahn Yeong-myeong(1-0) , L - Kim Sang-soo (0-1), S - Brad Thomas (2)
The story here wasn't who won or lost. It was all about Yang Joon-hyeok tying the KBO's career home run record of 340 home runs. Yang's next homer is the record breaker. The Lions looked like they would knock Hanwha starter Ahn Yeong-myeoung out of the game early, but the crafty veteran settled down and managed to work 5 mediocre innings. Cho Jin-ho is still awful as a starter. He doesn't miss any bats and he leaves his weak stuff up in the zone to get clobbered. He was mercifully pulled in the middle of the 5th. The Samsung bullpen...didn't do much better. With Victor Diaz and Kim Tae-gyun aboard with one out in the 7th, Hanwha 3rd baseman Lee Beom-ho crushed a Choi Won-che offering over the left field fence. I honestly couldn't tell on the replay, but it LOOKED like Lee's homer actually left the building. I don't remember ever seeing that before. Lee's homer made the score 7-3. It was an absolute bomb. Samsung mounted a fake rally in the 9th thanks to a 2-run homer from Cho Dong-chan. All that did was make the game a save opportunity for Brad Thomas.
KIA 4, Lotte 0
W - Rick Guttormson (1-1), L - Lee Yong-hoon (1-1)
The story of this one was Rick Guttormson. He wasn't overpowering, but he was smart. He didn't miss a ton of bats, but he didn't get hit hard. Rick worked 8 2/3 shutout innings(104 pitches, 66 strikes). He allowed only 7 hits and struck out 6 Giants. The most pitches he threw in an inning was 18 in the 3rd. He only had two other innings where his pitch total reached double digits. He threw strikes and let the Giants get themselves out. KIA's rookie 3rd baseman Ahn Chi-hong went 2-4 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs and a homer. His 8th inning solo homer was his first of the season.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mike Johnson, We Hardly Knew Ye
It sounds like Mike Johnson gets to make the long flight home of failure. He was roughed up in a pair of relief outings last week and SK has seen enough.
According to Patrick at NPB Tracker, former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Ken Kadokura is on his way to SK. It sounds like Patrick thinks Ken still has something left in the tank. He can't be much worse than this guy. I'm not sure where he fits in. Most likely he'll start in the bulllpen.
As far as I know, Doosan is still looking for a replacement for Matt Randel. Scott Elarton, anyone?
According to Patrick at NPB Tracker, former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Ken Kadokura is on his way to SK. It sounds like Patrick thinks Ken still has something left in the tank. He can't be much worse than this guy. I'm not sure where he fits in. Most likely he'll start in the bulllpen.
As far as I know, Doosan is still looking for a replacement for Matt Randel. Scott Elarton, anyone?
Monday, April 13, 2009
4/10 - 4/12 Weekend Roundup and News
It felt like we've been seeing more homers this year. The Joongang Daily confirms it for us. I also liked the shout out to Kim Sang-soo and Ahn Chi-hong at the end. These two are the early front runners for rookie of the year.
On Saturday, Lee Jong-wook hit for the cycle.
Also Lee Seung-yeop appears to be healthy and Lim Chang-yong has picked up where he left off.
On to the roundup...
LG vs. Doosan
4/10 - LG 8, Doosan 5
4/11 - Doosan 13, LG 5
4/12 - Doosan 4, LG 3
Doosan actually lead 5-4 in the 9th inning, but LG mounted a 4-run rally that took most(well, at me at least) completely by surprise. In the bottom of the 9th, LG slugger Roberto Petagine came to the plate with the bases loaded and 1 out. Big Bobby drilled a 2-1 pitch from Lee Yong-chan over the fence in right/center for a game winning, grand slam homerun. The homer was Roberto's 3rd of the day. He finished the game 3-5 with 3 homers, 6 RBI and 3 runs scored. He received the standard dogpile and water bottle shower that comes with game winning homers in the KBO, but it did feel a little muted compared to some of the beatings I've seen take place in the KBO. If it were Lee Jin-yong, his teammates would have chased him into centerfield, knocked him over and kicked him in the ribs repeatedly. Roberto just got jumped on and doused.
Doosan, led by Lee Jong-wook's cycle, battered LG pitching for 13 runs. Lee, Yim Jae-cheol and Choi Joon-seok drove in 3 runs apiece. The biggest story of this game was Lee's cycle. He doubled in the 1st, singled in the 4th, homered in the 5th and tripled in the 7th. Doosan shortstop Son Si-hyeon hit an 'Eff you" homer in the 8th inning. Son finished the game 3-6 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
LG held a 3-1 lead on Sunday after Roberto Petagine hit his 5th homer of the season. Doosan's Kim Dong-joo homered in the 6th to make the score 3-2. Then, in the 8th inning Doosan rallied for 2 runs and took the lead. With a runner on 1st and one out in the 8th, Kim Dong-joo hit a towering fly to center. It should've been an easy out, but LG center fielder Lee Dae-yeong lost the ball in the lights. Kim should've been standing on 2nd, but he threw a tantrum when he thought he popped out. The look on his face when he was on first was only beaten by the look on the face of the LG manager. I thought he was going to run out and strangle poor Lee. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok singled up the middle to tie the game at 3. The next batter, Matt Watson, singled through the right side to give Doosan a 4-3 avantage. Doosan reliever Lee Yong-chan managed to avoid giving up a grand slam and nailed down the save.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
4/10 - SK 16, Heroes 4
4/11 - SK 10, Heroes 3
4/12 - SK 5, Heroes 4
The Heroes were mere mortals on Friday. SK batters pounded Heroes pitching for 5 homeruns, while Koh Hyo-joon struck out 11 Heroes during his 6 innings of work. Koh worked 6 solid innings for SK. He allowed only 2 runs on 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman. SK DH Kim Jae-hyeon finished the day 2-4 with a walk, a double, a homer, 4 RBI's and 1 run scored. Kim's homer came in the first inning with 2 runners on base. Park Jeong-kwon, Jeong Geun-woo and Park Kyeong-won(Oan?) also went deep for SK on Friday night.
On Saturday, SK started Song Eun-beom was given an eight run lead to work with and he didn't disappoint. Song worked 6 solid innings of 1-run ball. He allowed 4 hits and one walk with 4 K's. The SK offense exploded for 3 more homeruns. Jeong Geun-woo and Park Kyeong-won hit their 2nd homeruns in as many days during the 10-3 romp.
SK's Kim Kwang-hyeon was handed the ball on Sunday and he turned in mixed results. The 2008 MVP lasted 6 innings, but he 4 runs(3 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks. He did manage to strike out 7 Heroes during his start. By the time Kim left the game, SK was down 4-0. In the 7th inning the Wyverns mounted a 4-run rally to tie the game. SK catcher Park Kyeong-won continued his hot weekend on Sunday. He drove in 2 on a base hit with the bases loaded in the 7th. Then in the 9th he hit a sac fly to score the go ahead run. The veteran backstop finished 2-4 with 3 RBI. Heroes starting pitcher Jeong Won-sam recieved an ND for his fine effort. Jeong worked 6 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed 7 hits and 1 walk, but he struck out 8 Wyverns.
Hanwha vs. Lotte
4/10 - Hanwha 8, Lotte 3
4/11 - Hanwha 10, Lotte 6
4/12 - Lotte 7, Hanwha 4
Ryu Hyeon-jin cruised to his 2nd victory on Friday. The Hanwha ace worked 7 1/3 solid innings. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 8 Lotte Giants. Song Seung-joon wasn't nearly as effective. Song was battered for 8 runs(6 earned) during his 4 innings of work. He surrendered homers to both Lee Beom-ho and Oh Seon-jin.
Saturday's game felt more like a homerun derby than a baseball game. The two teams combinded for 7 bombs on the night. Lee Dae-ho and Karim Garcia went back-to-back in the 7th inning off of Mr. 3000(innings) Song Jin-woo, but it was too little, too late. Hanwha had already battered Lotte starter Heo Joon-hyeok for 9 runs(8 earned). Hanwha hitters Kang Dong-woo, Shin Kyeong-hyeon and Yeon Kyeong-heum all hit 2-run homers off of Heo.
Lotte was able to get some measure of revenge on Sunday with another homerun barrage. The Giants hit 4 more, including 2 from 2nd baseman Cho Seong-hwan. Lotte 3rd baseman Lee Dae-ho went 4-5 with a homer, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Victor Diaz continued his hot start with another homer. The 4th inning round tripper was his 3rd of the season. Jon Adkins pitched a scoreless 9th inning for Lotte and earned his 3rd save of the season.
Samsung vs. KIA
4/10 - Samsung 5, KIA 2
4/11 - Samsung 2, KIA 1 (10)
4/12 - KIA 1, Samsung 0
This series was all about the pitching. Samsung's Yoon Seong-hwan is emerging as a legit staff ace. On Friday night, Yoon worked 6 2/3 innings of 1-run ball. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer by catcher Kim Sang-hoon in the 3rd inning. Yoon scattered 5 hits and struck out 4 while earning his 2nd W of the season. Samsung first baseman Chae Tae-in hit his first homer after coming back from his 5 game suspension. He was suspended due to his role in the offseason gambling scandal. Oh Seung-hwan struck out the side to record his 2nd save. The reports of his demise were premature.
Runelvys Hernandez was forced out of Saturday's game due to an ankle injury and the Samsung bullpen was forced into action. 6 different pitchers combined to limit KIA to one run. KIA's lone run came on a solo homer from Choi Hee-seop in the 4th inning. Samsung wasn't much better at the plate. Until the 10th inning, Samsung's only run came from a solo homerun by shortstop Park Jin-man. In the 10th, Samsung's Heo Seung-min was able to score from third on a defensive miscue by KIA third baseman Ahn Chi-hong. Ahn couldn't find the handle on a slow grounder. Oh Seung-hwan pitched a scoreless bottom of 10th to record his 3rd save of the season. Yoon Seok-min took a tough ND on Saturday he worked 9 innings of 1-run ball and came up with nothing to show for he. During his 137(!) pitch outing Yoon allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 4 walks with 7 K's.
Samsung's Francisco Cruceta was really lucky on Sunday. He was more than a little wild, but KIA never really made him pay for it. Cruceta worked 6 1/3 innings of 1-run ball, but he walked 5 and allowed 4 hits. The only run of the game came in the 4th inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. KIA rightfielder Lee Hyeong-gon lifted a fly ball to deep right to score the man from third and give KIA a 1-0 avantage. KIA starter, Yang Hyeon-jong tossed 8 shutout innings. He allowed 4 hits with 0 walks and struck out 4. KIA reliever Han Ki-joo struck out 2 Lions during a scoreless 9th inning and earned his first save of the season.
On Saturday, Lee Jong-wook hit for the cycle.
Also Lee Seung-yeop appears to be healthy and Lim Chang-yong has picked up where he left off.
On to the roundup...
LG vs. Doosan
4/10 - LG 8, Doosan 5
4/11 - Doosan 13, LG 5
4/12 - Doosan 4, LG 3
Doosan actually lead 5-4 in the 9th inning, but LG mounted a 4-run rally that took most(well, at me at least) completely by surprise. In the bottom of the 9th, LG slugger Roberto Petagine came to the plate with the bases loaded and 1 out. Big Bobby drilled a 2-1 pitch from Lee Yong-chan over the fence in right/center for a game winning, grand slam homerun. The homer was Roberto's 3rd of the day. He finished the game 3-5 with 3 homers, 6 RBI and 3 runs scored. He received the standard dogpile and water bottle shower that comes with game winning homers in the KBO, but it did feel a little muted compared to some of the beatings I've seen take place in the KBO. If it were Lee Jin-yong, his teammates would have chased him into centerfield, knocked him over and kicked him in the ribs repeatedly. Roberto just got jumped on and doused.
Doosan, led by Lee Jong-wook's cycle, battered LG pitching for 13 runs. Lee, Yim Jae-cheol and Choi Joon-seok drove in 3 runs apiece. The biggest story of this game was Lee's cycle. He doubled in the 1st, singled in the 4th, homered in the 5th and tripled in the 7th. Doosan shortstop Son Si-hyeon hit an 'Eff you" homer in the 8th inning. Son finished the game 3-6 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
LG held a 3-1 lead on Sunday after Roberto Petagine hit his 5th homer of the season. Doosan's Kim Dong-joo homered in the 6th to make the score 3-2. Then, in the 8th inning Doosan rallied for 2 runs and took the lead. With a runner on 1st and one out in the 8th, Kim Dong-joo hit a towering fly to center. It should've been an easy out, but LG center fielder Lee Dae-yeong lost the ball in the lights. Kim should've been standing on 2nd, but he threw a tantrum when he thought he popped out. The look on his face when he was on first was only beaten by the look on the face of the LG manager. I thought he was going to run out and strangle poor Lee. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-seok singled up the middle to tie the game at 3. The next batter, Matt Watson, singled through the right side to give Doosan a 4-3 avantage. Doosan reliever Lee Yong-chan managed to avoid giving up a grand slam and nailed down the save.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
4/10 - SK 16, Heroes 4
4/11 - SK 10, Heroes 3
4/12 - SK 5, Heroes 4
The Heroes were mere mortals on Friday. SK batters pounded Heroes pitching for 5 homeruns, while Koh Hyo-joon struck out 11 Heroes during his 6 innings of work. Koh worked 6 solid innings for SK. He allowed only 2 runs on 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman. SK DH Kim Jae-hyeon finished the day 2-4 with a walk, a double, a homer, 4 RBI's and 1 run scored. Kim's homer came in the first inning with 2 runners on base. Park Jeong-kwon, Jeong Geun-woo and Park Kyeong-won(Oan?) also went deep for SK on Friday night.
On Saturday, SK started Song Eun-beom was given an eight run lead to work with and he didn't disappoint. Song worked 6 solid innings of 1-run ball. He allowed 4 hits and one walk with 4 K's. The SK offense exploded for 3 more homeruns. Jeong Geun-woo and Park Kyeong-won hit their 2nd homeruns in as many days during the 10-3 romp.
SK's Kim Kwang-hyeon was handed the ball on Sunday and he turned in mixed results. The 2008 MVP lasted 6 innings, but he 4 runs(3 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks. He did manage to strike out 7 Heroes during his start. By the time Kim left the game, SK was down 4-0. In the 7th inning the Wyverns mounted a 4-run rally to tie the game. SK catcher Park Kyeong-won continued his hot weekend on Sunday. He drove in 2 on a base hit with the bases loaded in the 7th. Then in the 9th he hit a sac fly to score the go ahead run. The veteran backstop finished 2-4 with 3 RBI. Heroes starting pitcher Jeong Won-sam recieved an ND for his fine effort. Jeong worked 6 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed 7 hits and 1 walk, but he struck out 8 Wyverns.
Hanwha vs. Lotte
4/10 - Hanwha 8, Lotte 3
4/11 - Hanwha 10, Lotte 6
4/12 - Lotte 7, Hanwha 4
Ryu Hyeon-jin cruised to his 2nd victory on Friday. The Hanwha ace worked 7 1/3 solid innings. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 8 Lotte Giants. Song Seung-joon wasn't nearly as effective. Song was battered for 8 runs(6 earned) during his 4 innings of work. He surrendered homers to both Lee Beom-ho and Oh Seon-jin.
Saturday's game felt more like a homerun derby than a baseball game. The two teams combinded for 7 bombs on the night. Lee Dae-ho and Karim Garcia went back-to-back in the 7th inning off of Mr. 3000(innings) Song Jin-woo, but it was too little, too late. Hanwha had already battered Lotte starter Heo Joon-hyeok for 9 runs(8 earned). Hanwha hitters Kang Dong-woo, Shin Kyeong-hyeon and Yeon Kyeong-heum all hit 2-run homers off of Heo.
Lotte was able to get some measure of revenge on Sunday with another homerun barrage. The Giants hit 4 more, including 2 from 2nd baseman Cho Seong-hwan. Lotte 3rd baseman Lee Dae-ho went 4-5 with a homer, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Victor Diaz continued his hot start with another homer. The 4th inning round tripper was his 3rd of the season. Jon Adkins pitched a scoreless 9th inning for Lotte and earned his 3rd save of the season.
Samsung vs. KIA
4/10 - Samsung 5, KIA 2
4/11 - Samsung 2, KIA 1 (10)
4/12 - KIA 1, Samsung 0
This series was all about the pitching. Samsung's Yoon Seong-hwan is emerging as a legit staff ace. On Friday night, Yoon worked 6 2/3 innings of 1-run ball. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer by catcher Kim Sang-hoon in the 3rd inning. Yoon scattered 5 hits and struck out 4 while earning his 2nd W of the season. Samsung first baseman Chae Tae-in hit his first homer after coming back from his 5 game suspension. He was suspended due to his role in the offseason gambling scandal. Oh Seung-hwan struck out the side to record his 2nd save. The reports of his demise were premature.
Runelvys Hernandez was forced out of Saturday's game due to an ankle injury and the Samsung bullpen was forced into action. 6 different pitchers combined to limit KIA to one run. KIA's lone run came on a solo homer from Choi Hee-seop in the 4th inning. Samsung wasn't much better at the plate. Until the 10th inning, Samsung's only run came from a solo homerun by shortstop Park Jin-man. In the 10th, Samsung's Heo Seung-min was able to score from third on a defensive miscue by KIA third baseman Ahn Chi-hong. Ahn couldn't find the handle on a slow grounder. Oh Seung-hwan pitched a scoreless bottom of 10th to record his 3rd save of the season. Yoon Seok-min took a tough ND on Saturday he worked 9 innings of 1-run ball and came up with nothing to show for he. During his 137(!) pitch outing Yoon allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 4 walks with 7 K's.
Samsung's Francisco Cruceta was really lucky on Sunday. He was more than a little wild, but KIA never really made him pay for it. Cruceta worked 6 1/3 innings of 1-run ball, but he walked 5 and allowed 4 hits. The only run of the game came in the 4th inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. KIA rightfielder Lee Hyeong-gon lifted a fly ball to deep right to score the man from third and give KIA a 1-0 avantage. KIA starter, Yang Hyeon-jong tossed 8 shutout innings. He allowed 4 hits with 0 walks and struck out 4. KIA reliever Han Ki-joo struck out 2 Lions during a scoreless 9th inning and earned his first save of the season.
Friday, April 10, 2009
4/9 Roundup and News
Hanwha Eagles pitcher, Song Jin-woo threw his 3000th KBO inning last night. He is the first pitcher in KBO history to reach 3000 innings and he is already the career leader in innings pitched by a wide margin. The 43-year old pitcher is in his 21st KBO season. He broke in with the Eagles in 1989(Then sponsored by Bingrae) and actually started out as a reliever. In 1992, Song finished the season 19-8 with 17 saves in 48 appearances. He tossed 191 1/3 innings that year. In 2002, he set a career mark for innings pitched with 220. He finished with a 18-7 record over 31 starts. For his career, Song boasts a 210-153 record with 103 saves. Last season he recorded his 2000th career strikeout. He's also 1-4 in his career at the plate.
The Joongang Daily gives us a look at the contrasting styles of Kim Tae-gyun and Kim Hyun-soo. I still miss Jee-ho, but this was a fairly well-written article. It was also fairly timely. Seeing as how the two teams played this week. Keep an eye out for the orange bat of Kim Hyun-soo. I get the feeling its going to start gaining mystical properties in the coming weeks.
CJ Nitkowski has been sent down to SK's minor league team. Joining CJ in the minors are 1st baseman Lee Ho-jun, 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo and third baseman Na Ju-hwan. All of these guys could be back in a few days. I get the impression that manager Kim Seong-geun was tired watching mediocre play for 4 games and wanted to send a message.
On to the roundup...
The Joongang Daily gives us a look at the contrasting styles of Kim Tae-gyun and Kim Hyun-soo. I still miss Jee-ho, but this was a fairly well-written article. It was also fairly timely. Seeing as how the two teams played this week. Keep an eye out for the orange bat of Kim Hyun-soo. I get the feeling its going to start gaining mystical properties in the coming weeks.
CJ Nitkowski has been sent down to SK's minor league team. Joining CJ in the minors are 1st baseman Lee Ho-jun, 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo and third baseman Na Ju-hwan. All of these guys could be back in a few days. I get the impression that manager Kim Seong-geun was tired watching mediocre play for 4 games and wanted to send a message.
On to the roundup...
LG 6, Lotte 3
W - Bong Jung-geun(1-1), L - Jang Won-joon (0-2)
LG jumped all over Lotte starting pitcher, Jang Won-joon. The battered him to the tunr of 5 runs on 9 hits and 1 walk during his 3 /1/3 innings pitched. Jang was lifted with the bases loaded in the 4th inning. Lotte reliever, Bae Jang-ho, provided little relief last night. The first batter he faced, LG outfielder Ahn Chi-yong, ripped a double to right center to clear the bases. Ahn was thrown out trying to advance to third. The newest Twin, Lee Jin-yeong, continues to be a catalyst for this LG lineup. He finished last night's game 2-3 with 2 runs scored. While Jang had his difficulties, Bong Jung-geun was able to cruise for 7 innings(102 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. Bong allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 2 K's. The only run off of Bong came on a solo homer by Kim Joo-chan in the 3rd inning. Lotte's Son Ah-seob added another solo homer in the 9th. Lotte DH Hong Seong-heun was 3-4 with 2 doubles, but 0 RBI's or runs scored.
W - Bong Jung-geun(1-1), L - Jang Won-joon (0-2)
LG jumped all over Lotte starting pitcher, Jang Won-joon. The battered him to the tunr of 5 runs on 9 hits and 1 walk during his 3 /1/3 innings pitched. Jang was lifted with the bases loaded in the 4th inning. Lotte reliever, Bae Jang-ho, provided little relief last night. The first batter he faced, LG outfielder Ahn Chi-yong, ripped a double to right center to clear the bases. Ahn was thrown out trying to advance to third. The newest Twin, Lee Jin-yeong, continues to be a catalyst for this LG lineup. He finished last night's game 2-3 with 2 runs scored. While Jang had his difficulties, Bong Jung-geun was able to cruise for 7 innings(102 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. Bong allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 2 K's. The only run off of Bong came on a solo homer by Kim Joo-chan in the 3rd inning. Lotte's Son Ah-seob added another solo homer in the 9th. Lotte DH Hong Seong-heun was 3-4 with 2 doubles, but 0 RBI's or runs scored.
Seoul Heroes 9, Samsung 5
W - Ma Il-yeong(1-1), L - Bae Yong-su(0-1)
I sure am glad I tuned in for batting practice! When does the game start? Oh. Bae Yong-su provided the normal Bae Yong-su mediocre start. He started things off by allowing a solo homer to 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun in the first inning. Then, another solo homer to Kang Jeong-ho in the 3rd. After tossing the ball into right field on a pick off attempt, Bae surrendered another deep fly to Kim Taek-geun. This time it was only a sac fly, but the Heroes tied game at 3. After loading the bases in the 5th inning, Bae surrendered another sac fly to give the Heroes a 4-3 lead. Finally, Doug Clark hit a ball to center field that just landed this morning. Upon reaching the dugout, Clark executed several multi-step handshakes and a chest bump with some of his teammates. It's good to see these guys getting along. Cliff Brumbaugh hit an "Eff you" homer in the 8th inning that took approximately .00003 seconds to go from his bat to over the wall off of Oh Seung-hwan.
W - Ma Il-yeong(1-1), L - Bae Yong-su(0-1)
I sure am glad I tuned in for batting practice! When does the game start? Oh. Bae Yong-su provided the normal Bae Yong-su mediocre start. He started things off by allowing a solo homer to 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun in the first inning. Then, another solo homer to Kang Jeong-ho in the 3rd. After tossing the ball into right field on a pick off attempt, Bae surrendered another deep fly to Kim Taek-geun. This time it was only a sac fly, but the Heroes tied game at 3. After loading the bases in the 5th inning, Bae surrendered another sac fly to give the Heroes a 4-3 lead. Finally, Doug Clark hit a ball to center field that just landed this morning. Upon reaching the dugout, Clark executed several multi-step handshakes and a chest bump with some of his teammates. It's good to see these guys getting along. Cliff Brumbaugh hit an "Eff you" homer in the 8th inning that took approximately .00003 seconds to go from his bat to over the wall off of Oh Seung-hwan.
Doosan 11, Hanwha 2
W - Kim Sun-woo(2-0), L - Jeong Min-cheol (0-1)
The big story here was the record set by Song Jin-woo, so no one really seems to care that Hanwha got absolutely pummeled. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-soo had a huge night for Doosan. He finished 4-4 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Doosan's Choi Joon-seok clubbed a solo homer in the 3rd inning. Doosan DH Matt Watson also got in on the action. Watson hit a 2-run bomb in the 5th. Matt finished the night 2-5 with 3 RBI. Doosan starting pitcher Kim Sun-woo turned in his 2nd straight quality start. Kim worked 5 2/3 innings(84 pitches, 52 strikes) of 1 run ball. Kim allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 K's on the night. The only run he allowed came on a Kim Tae-gyun solo homer. The homer was Kim's 2nd of the season.
KIA 2, SK 2
Hey! Another tie! Great. Chae Byeong-yeong had a nice effort wasted by a struggling SK offense. Chae tossed 6 shutout innings(96 pitches, 61 strikes). He only surrendered 5 hits and 1 walk. He was able to strikeout 7 Tigers during his start. SK's 1st run came on an RBI single from outfielder Park Jae-sang in the 5th inning. KIA would tie the game in the 8th inning when third baseman Ahn Chi-hong hit a slow roller up the middle that got past the pitcher. The ball took for..e...ver to reach the 2nd baseman. By the time the ball got to him, Choi Yong-gyu was sliding across the plate. SK took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 12th on an RBI double from DH Yoon Sang-gyun. KIA tied the game in the bottom of the 12th on an RBI single from Jang Seong-ho. With no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, Choi Hee-seop grounded into a double play. With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, KIA's Na Ji-hwan was intentionally walked. Ahn Chi-hong came up to the plate to be a hero and...he...hit...a...towering...fly...ball...to..left...which was caught at the warning track. Ballgame. Tie. Pucker up and go find your sisters.
W - Kim Sun-woo(2-0), L - Jeong Min-cheol (0-1)
The big story here was the record set by Song Jin-woo, so no one really seems to care that Hanwha got absolutely pummeled. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-soo had a huge night for Doosan. He finished 4-4 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Doosan's Choi Joon-seok clubbed a solo homer in the 3rd inning. Doosan DH Matt Watson also got in on the action. Watson hit a 2-run bomb in the 5th. Matt finished the night 2-5 with 3 RBI. Doosan starting pitcher Kim Sun-woo turned in his 2nd straight quality start. Kim worked 5 2/3 innings(84 pitches, 52 strikes) of 1 run ball. Kim allowed 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 K's on the night. The only run he allowed came on a Kim Tae-gyun solo homer. The homer was Kim's 2nd of the season.
KIA 2, SK 2
Hey! Another tie! Great. Chae Byeong-yeong had a nice effort wasted by a struggling SK offense. Chae tossed 6 shutout innings(96 pitches, 61 strikes). He only surrendered 5 hits and 1 walk. He was able to strikeout 7 Tigers during his start. SK's 1st run came on an RBI single from outfielder Park Jae-sang in the 5th inning. KIA would tie the game in the 8th inning when third baseman Ahn Chi-hong hit a slow roller up the middle that got past the pitcher. The ball took for..e...ver to reach the 2nd baseman. By the time the ball got to him, Choi Yong-gyu was sliding across the plate. SK took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 12th on an RBI double from DH Yoon Sang-gyun. KIA tied the game in the bottom of the 12th on an RBI single from Jang Seong-ho. With no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, Choi Hee-seop grounded into a double play. With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, KIA's Na Ji-hwan was intentionally walked. Ahn Chi-hong came up to the plate to be a hero and...he...hit...a...towering...fly...ball...to..left...which was caught at the warning track. Ballgame. Tie. Pucker up and go find your sisters.
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