Lee Ji-ho at the Joongang Daily asks, "Will we ever see a .400 hitter in Korea?" His answer, "Yes." I would have to agree with him. I think could even happen this season. Kim Hyeon-su will flirt with .400 for a few seasons before his career ends.
We did get a blog update from Mr. Nitkowski again and he actually admits fault in this one...in a way. He's been demoted again. It sounds like this is the last time. He'll either stop walking guys and throw strikes or he'll go home.
Seoul Heroes 4, Doosan 0
W - Jeong Won-sam (2-3), L - Jeong Jae-hoon (4-2), S - Shin Cheol-in (1)
I think we can declare Jeong Won-sam's WBC hangover officially over. The young lefty tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings(107 pitches, 71 strikes) against a really tough Doosan lineup. He allowed only 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. I'd like to see that strikeout total a bit higher, but I think he's going to have a big June for the Heroes. A Doosan starter actually made it out of the 6th inning, but Jeong Jae-hoon was the tough luck loser. Jeong threw 8 1/3 innings(102 pitches, 70 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 1 hit batsman while striking out 9. The Heroes continued to tear up the base paths against Doosan. They stole 4 more last night. I think we might've either found a strength for the Heroes or a weakness for Doosan. I'm not sure which yet.
SK 7, KIA 1
W - Kim Kwang-hyeon (7-0), L - Kwak Jeong-cheol (3-1)
Kim Kwang-hyeon was what you'd call "effectively wild." The SK ace tossed 7 2/3 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 6(!) walks while striking out 5. A solo homer by KIA center fielder Choi Yong-gyu was Kim's only mistake on the evening...Well, other than all those walks. I will say this about Kim, he looks like he has his groove back. After big strikeouts he'll strut around the mound a little. He's pitching with more confidence now than he ever had in March or April. At the plate for SK, right fielder Park Jae-sang enjoyed a solid night at the plate. He finished 2-4 with a double, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. His 4th inning double put SK on the scoreboard and tied the game at 1. He also hit a 2 RBI single in the 7th inning that put the game completely out of reach.
Samsung 11, Hanhwa 1
W - Francisco Cruceta (3-2), L - Kim Hyeok-min (5-3), S - Ji Seung-min (1)
Where did this come from? Solid hitting and pitching? On the same night? From this miserable Samsung squad? It's not a sign of the apocalypse, but I am planning a trip to CostCo next week. Samsung banged out 5 homers. All 5 came in the first 4 innings. 3rd baseman Park Seok-min hit a 2-run bomb in the 2nd. Infielder Shin Myeong-cheol hit a 2-run homer and right fielder Choi Heong-woo hit a solo homer in the 3rd. Things really got ridiculous in the 4th inning. Kang Bong-gyu hit a grand slam. Yang Jun-hyeok followed Kang with a solo shot homer to make the score 10-0. Samsung starter Francisco Cruceta was able to cruise for 6 innings(93 pitches, 53 strikes). The only run Cruceta allowed came on a solo homer by Hanhwa's Victor Diaz. Cruceta allowed 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5. Samsung reliever Ji Seung-min threw 3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the save.
LG 13, Lotte 3
W - Shim Su-chang (5-3), L - Kim Il-yeop (0-3)
LG also exploded for 5 homers last night. The 4th and 6th innings were a nightmare for Lotte. LG put up 5 runs in both. LG 1st baseman Roberto Petagine led the charge for the Twins. He finished 4-4 with a double, a homer, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Lee Jin-yeong started at DH for the Twins and did a fine job. Lee finished 3-3 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. LG starting pitcher Shim Su-chang was also solid on the mound. Shim tossed 7 innings(105 pitches, 62 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 10 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. He was good enough to win, as long as he had a 10-run lead to work with.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
5/27 Roundup and News
I've got some catching up to do with the local sports rags. The Joonang Ilbo has been especially busy. First, they wrote this fluff profile on Rick Guttormson. I would have at least mentioned the drug testing.
The all-star game balloting has opened. Thrilling.
The games are taking longer this year.
Lee Ji-mo has signed with the LA Dodgers. I'm not sure what to make of this. He's finished his military service and Lotte is desperate for pitching. Hmmm, he's either got talent or he slept with someone's daughter and he wants to escape the country.
If you read this piece, you'd think Ryu Hyeon-jin was completely awful. He's had a few rough starts, but alarm bells aren't ringing. I'm not going to worry until there's a decline in his K numbers. I'm willing to chalk this up to bad luck.
On to the roundup...
Seoul Heroes 7, Doosan 2
W - Lee Hyeon-seung (6-3), L - Kim Sun-woo (5-4)
The Heroes must have noticed something about Kim Sun-woo and catcher Yong Deok-han. The Heroes stole 7 bases in this game. 6 of them came with Kim and Yong as the Doosan battery. In the 5th inning, the Heroes center fielder Jeong Su-seong stole home. Kim Sun-woo threw a pitch that was neither a pitchout or a regular pitch. The catcher was in position for a pitch out, but the ball went 5 feet over the umpires' head. It was just bizarre. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun stole 4 by himself, but he didn't score a single run. That's tough to do. It wasn't the stolen bases that doomed Kim Sun-woo, it was the homers. Kim surrendered a 2-run bomb to catcher Kang Gui-tae in the 4th inning and slugger Cliff Brumbaugh hit a solo shot in the 5th inning. Heroes starting pitcher Le Hyeon-seung was able to cruise for 6 innings(99 pitches, 59 strikes). He allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3.
KIA 5, SK 2
W - Aquilino Lopez (2-2), L - CJ Nitkowski (0-2), S - Yoo Dong-hoon (1)
I, for one, can't wait for the 5 paragraph blog post from CJ about how he pitched well in this game, but still got stuck with the loss. It hasn't happened...yet, but I'm maintaining a 24-hour watch on his blog. It's going to be epic. I don't care how he rationalizes it this time. Allowing 3 of 4 runners to reach base is not a good outing, especially when its 2 walks and 1 HBP. That's how guys get released.
Senor Smoke has been difficult to figure out. He's looked either great or awful, but not much in between. He looked like a legit ace last night. Lopez tossed 8 innings(112 pitches, 68 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman while striking out 4. Ken Kadokura enjoyed a solid effort, but a lack of offensive support and a shaky SK bullpen(I'm looking at you, CJ) cost him a decision. Kadokura tossed 6 1/3 innings(118 pitches, 73 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6. With the score tied 2-2 in the 7th with 1 out, CJ Nitkowski was brought in to keep KIA off the board. He hit the first batter he saw in the thigh and he walked 2nd baseman Kim Jong-kuk. The look on the SK's manager's face when he allowed the walk was priceless. It appeared to say, "If I reported this guy for swine flu, would they deport him?" CJ got a ground ball for the 2nd out, but SK only got the force out at 1st, instead of the double play. CJ promptly walked Choi Hee-seop to load the bases and was removed from the country, erm, the game. KIA's Kim Sang-hyeon drilled a Yoon Gil-hyeon offering into center field and drove in the go-ahead runs. I was surprised to see Yoo Dong-hoon throw the 9th inning for KIA. He threw a scoreless inning to earn the save, but I was wondering where Yoon Seok-min was.
Hanhwa 8, Samsung 3
W - Ahn Yeong-myeong (3-3), L - Bae Yong-su (1-7)
Bae Yong-su surrendered solo homers to 2 of the first 3 batters he faced. He's awful and I feel old. If this were a softball team, guys would be telling him, "You know, next year you might want to try an easier league." Center fielder Kang Dong-woo and DH Kim Tae-wan both hit a pair of homers. Hanhwa starter Ahn Yeong-myeong pitched about as well as he usually does, but the anemic Samsung offense helped him out more than they should have. Ahn tossed 5 2/3 innings of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. This game was an absolute snooze to watch. Between the Lions being completely awful and Carlos Quentin suffering a hell injury, this has been a rough season for me. Moving on...
Lotte 6, LG 5
W - Lee Yong-hoon (2-3), L - Rick Bauer (0-1), S - Jon Adkins (10)
Rick Bauer! Welcome to the KBO! The Rick had a rough first outing, but probably won't be sent home...yet. He threw 5 innings(89 pitches, 59 strikes) and surrendered 4 runs. He allowed 7 hits and only 1 walk while striking out 5. Karim Garcia gave Rick a rude reception. The Lotte slugger hit a solo homer off of the KBO newcomer in the 4th inning. I think Bauer could fill the Chris Oxspring/innings eater role for this LG rotation. Anything more would be asking too much. 6-5 makes this game sound closer than it really was. If it weren't for a few fake rallies in the late innings, this game could have been 6-3. Lotte starting pitcher Lee Yong-hoon was solid, but not spectacular. He tossed 6 innings(90 pitches, 52 strikes) 0f 3-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Jon Adkins recorded a 5 out save, but looked shaky during a fake rally in the 9th inning.
The all-star game balloting has opened. Thrilling.
The games are taking longer this year.
Lee Ji-mo has signed with the LA Dodgers. I'm not sure what to make of this. He's finished his military service and Lotte is desperate for pitching. Hmmm, he's either got talent or he slept with someone's daughter and he wants to escape the country.
If you read this piece, you'd think Ryu Hyeon-jin was completely awful. He's had a few rough starts, but alarm bells aren't ringing. I'm not going to worry until there's a decline in his K numbers. I'm willing to chalk this up to bad luck.
On to the roundup...
Seoul Heroes 7, Doosan 2
W - Lee Hyeon-seung (6-3), L - Kim Sun-woo (5-4)
The Heroes must have noticed something about Kim Sun-woo and catcher Yong Deok-han. The Heroes stole 7 bases in this game. 6 of them came with Kim and Yong as the Doosan battery. In the 5th inning, the Heroes center fielder Jeong Su-seong stole home. Kim Sun-woo threw a pitch that was neither a pitchout or a regular pitch. The catcher was in position for a pitch out, but the ball went 5 feet over the umpires' head. It was just bizarre. Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun stole 4 by himself, but he didn't score a single run. That's tough to do. It wasn't the stolen bases that doomed Kim Sun-woo, it was the homers. Kim surrendered a 2-run bomb to catcher Kang Gui-tae in the 4th inning and slugger Cliff Brumbaugh hit a solo shot in the 5th inning. Heroes starting pitcher Le Hyeon-seung was able to cruise for 6 innings(99 pitches, 59 strikes). He allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3.
KIA 5, SK 2
W - Aquilino Lopez (2-2), L - CJ Nitkowski (0-2), S - Yoo Dong-hoon (1)
I, for one, can't wait for the 5 paragraph blog post from CJ about how he pitched well in this game, but still got stuck with the loss. It hasn't happened...yet, but I'm maintaining a 24-hour watch on his blog. It's going to be epic. I don't care how he rationalizes it this time. Allowing 3 of 4 runners to reach base is not a good outing, especially when its 2 walks and 1 HBP. That's how guys get released.
Senor Smoke has been difficult to figure out. He's looked either great or awful, but not much in between. He looked like a legit ace last night. Lopez tossed 8 innings(112 pitches, 68 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman while striking out 4. Ken Kadokura enjoyed a solid effort, but a lack of offensive support and a shaky SK bullpen(I'm looking at you, CJ) cost him a decision. Kadokura tossed 6 1/3 innings(118 pitches, 73 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6. With the score tied 2-2 in the 7th with 1 out, CJ Nitkowski was brought in to keep KIA off the board. He hit the first batter he saw in the thigh and he walked 2nd baseman Kim Jong-kuk. The look on the SK's manager's face when he allowed the walk was priceless. It appeared to say, "If I reported this guy for swine flu, would they deport him?" CJ got a ground ball for the 2nd out, but SK only got the force out at 1st, instead of the double play. CJ promptly walked Choi Hee-seop to load the bases and was removed from the country, erm, the game. KIA's Kim Sang-hyeon drilled a Yoon Gil-hyeon offering into center field and drove in the go-ahead runs. I was surprised to see Yoo Dong-hoon throw the 9th inning for KIA. He threw a scoreless inning to earn the save, but I was wondering where Yoon Seok-min was.
Hanhwa 8, Samsung 3
W - Ahn Yeong-myeong (3-3), L - Bae Yong-su (1-7)
Bae Yong-su surrendered solo homers to 2 of the first 3 batters he faced. He's awful and I feel old. If this were a softball team, guys would be telling him, "You know, next year you might want to try an easier league." Center fielder Kang Dong-woo and DH Kim Tae-wan both hit a pair of homers. Hanhwa starter Ahn Yeong-myeong pitched about as well as he usually does, but the anemic Samsung offense helped him out more than they should have. Ahn tossed 5 2/3 innings of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. This game was an absolute snooze to watch. Between the Lions being completely awful and Carlos Quentin suffering a hell injury, this has been a rough season for me. Moving on...
Lotte 6, LG 5
W - Lee Yong-hoon (2-3), L - Rick Bauer (0-1), S - Jon Adkins (10)
Rick Bauer! Welcome to the KBO! The Rick had a rough first outing, but probably won't be sent home...yet. He threw 5 innings(89 pitches, 59 strikes) and surrendered 4 runs. He allowed 7 hits and only 1 walk while striking out 5. Karim Garcia gave Rick a rude reception. The Lotte slugger hit a solo homer off of the KBO newcomer in the 4th inning. I think Bauer could fill the Chris Oxspring/innings eater role for this LG rotation. Anything more would be asking too much. 6-5 makes this game sound closer than it really was. If it weren't for a few fake rallies in the late innings, this game could have been 6-3. Lotte starting pitcher Lee Yong-hoon was solid, but not spectacular. He tossed 6 innings(90 pitches, 52 strikes) 0f 3-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Jon Adkins recorded a 5 out save, but looked shaky during a fake rally in the 9th inning.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
5/26 Roundup and News
Seoul Heroes 5, Doosan 4
W - Lee Bo-geun (1-1), L - Goh Chang-seong(2-2), S - Song Shin-yeong (1)
This game featured the debut of a new foreign guy. Doosan fans, meet relief pitcher Juan Cedeno! I hope he has success in the KBO, but it looks like he totally blows.
With a 2-1 lead in the top of the 9th inning, the Seoul Heroes struck for 3 more. It turned out, they would need it. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs, Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man tripled to the gap in right/center. Both runs scored and the Heroes held a 4-1 advantage. Song would later score on a double from catcher Kang Jeong-ho. Song had a solid evening. He finished 3-4 with a homer, 3 RBIs and 2 runs score. He was a double away from the cycle. In the bottom of the 9th, Doosan didn't want to go quietly. The Bears O rallied for 3 runs off of the Heroes bullpen. Center fielder Jeong Su-bin lead off with a single and promptly stole second. Right fielder Lim Jae-cheol walked to put batters on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Left fielder Kim Hyeon-su dropped a single into center to score Jeong and make it a 5-2 game, still with 0 outs. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong was promptly pulled in favor of Song Shin-yeong. He walked 1st baseman Oh Jae-won to load the bases. Shortstop Son Si-hyeon hit the ball through the left side of the infield and drove in 2 runs to make the score 5-4. Song retired the next 3 batters in order to get out of the jam and earn the save.
SK 3, KIA 2
W - Yoon Gil-hyeon (1-1), L - Yang Hyeon-jong (5-2), S - Jeong Dae-hyeon (6)
Both of KIA's runs came on solo homers in the 2nd inning. Both 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon and 2nd baseman Ahn Chi-yong went deep against SK starter Song Eun-beom. Song was fairly mediocre in this game. He needed 74 pitches to record 13 outs and he didn't make it out of the 4th inning. With KIA holding a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning, the SK offense struck for a 2 run rally. With runners on the corners and 1 out, pinch hitter Park Jeong-hwan hit a double to right to tie the game at 2. KIA reliever Son Yeong-min came on in relief of Yang. He promptly drilled Jeong Geun-woo in the leg to load the bases. The next batter, Cho Dong-hwa hit a grounder to short. The Tigers were able to get the force at 2nd, but Cho beat the throw to first. The go-ahead run was able to score. SK reliever Jeong Dae-hyeon tossed the final 2 innings to earn the save. He allowed 2 hits and 2 walks, but he didn't allow KIA to break through.
Samsung 3, Hanhwa 2 (11)
W - Kwon Hyeok (3-1), L - Brad Thomas (0-3), S - Oh Seung-hwan (13)
With Hanhwa leading 2-1 in the 7th inning, Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in hit a solo homer to tie the game at 2. After trading zeroes for 3 innings, Samsung finally broke through with a run in the top of the 11th. Hanhwa closer Brad Thomas walked Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong to lead off the inning. Jin was pulled for pinch runner, Lee Yeong-wook. During the next at bat, Lee was able to steal second. With 2 outs in the inning, Lee stole third while Kim Chang-hee drew a walk. With runners on the corners, Thomas threw over to first. He caught Kim napping and the Eagles got him in a run down. During the run down, Lee made a dash for the plate. Brad Thomas tried to throw over to first, but the throw was about 10 feet wide of third base and the go ahead run was able to score easily. In the bottom of the 11th, Kwon Hyeok was removed with 1 out and and Oh Seung-hwan recorded the final 2 outs to earn the save. Lost in this game was Runelvys Hernandez' return to the rotation. Runelvys looks like he's been enjoying the food here while he's been resting. Hernandez looked good on the mound. He tossed 6 innings(75 pitches, 47 strikes) of 2-run baseball against a tough Hanhwa lineup. He allowed only 7 hits while striking out 5.
Lotte 6, LG 0
W - Jang Won-joon (4-4), L - Kim Kwang-su (1-2)
Lotte had a starter throw a complete game shutout. I didn't see that one coming. Jang Won-joon tossed all 9 innings(117 pitches, 76 strikes) and gave the Lotte bullpen a much needed break. He only allowed 6 hit and 2 walks while striking out 6. It felt like he was ahead of every batter and kept LG's thumpers inside the ballpark. Lee Dae-ho drove in 3 runs while going 2-4. I really can't believe that these two teams played a game without hitting a homerun.
W - Lee Bo-geun (1-1), L - Goh Chang-seong(2-2), S - Song Shin-yeong (1)
This game featured the debut of a new foreign guy. Doosan fans, meet relief pitcher Juan Cedeno! I hope he has success in the KBO, but it looks like he totally blows.
With a 2-1 lead in the top of the 9th inning, the Seoul Heroes struck for 3 more. It turned out, they would need it. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs, Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man tripled to the gap in right/center. Both runs scored and the Heroes held a 4-1 advantage. Song would later score on a double from catcher Kang Jeong-ho. Song had a solid evening. He finished 3-4 with a homer, 3 RBIs and 2 runs score. He was a double away from the cycle. In the bottom of the 9th, Doosan didn't want to go quietly. The Bears O rallied for 3 runs off of the Heroes bullpen. Center fielder Jeong Su-bin lead off with a single and promptly stole second. Right fielder Lim Jae-cheol walked to put batters on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Left fielder Kim Hyeon-su dropped a single into center to score Jeong and make it a 5-2 game, still with 0 outs. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong was promptly pulled in favor of Song Shin-yeong. He walked 1st baseman Oh Jae-won to load the bases. Shortstop Son Si-hyeon hit the ball through the left side of the infield and drove in 2 runs to make the score 5-4. Song retired the next 3 batters in order to get out of the jam and earn the save.
SK 3, KIA 2
W - Yoon Gil-hyeon (1-1), L - Yang Hyeon-jong (5-2), S - Jeong Dae-hyeon (6)
Both of KIA's runs came on solo homers in the 2nd inning. Both 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon and 2nd baseman Ahn Chi-yong went deep against SK starter Song Eun-beom. Song was fairly mediocre in this game. He needed 74 pitches to record 13 outs and he didn't make it out of the 4th inning. With KIA holding a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning, the SK offense struck for a 2 run rally. With runners on the corners and 1 out, pinch hitter Park Jeong-hwan hit a double to right to tie the game at 2. KIA reliever Son Yeong-min came on in relief of Yang. He promptly drilled Jeong Geun-woo in the leg to load the bases. The next batter, Cho Dong-hwa hit a grounder to short. The Tigers were able to get the force at 2nd, but Cho beat the throw to first. The go-ahead run was able to score. SK reliever Jeong Dae-hyeon tossed the final 2 innings to earn the save. He allowed 2 hits and 2 walks, but he didn't allow KIA to break through.
Samsung 3, Hanhwa 2 (11)
W - Kwon Hyeok (3-1), L - Brad Thomas (0-3), S - Oh Seung-hwan (13)
With Hanhwa leading 2-1 in the 7th inning, Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in hit a solo homer to tie the game at 2. After trading zeroes for 3 innings, Samsung finally broke through with a run in the top of the 11th. Hanhwa closer Brad Thomas walked Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong to lead off the inning. Jin was pulled for pinch runner, Lee Yeong-wook. During the next at bat, Lee was able to steal second. With 2 outs in the inning, Lee stole third while Kim Chang-hee drew a walk. With runners on the corners, Thomas threw over to first. He caught Kim napping and the Eagles got him in a run down. During the run down, Lee made a dash for the plate. Brad Thomas tried to throw over to first, but the throw was about 10 feet wide of third base and the go ahead run was able to score easily. In the bottom of the 11th, Kwon Hyeok was removed with 1 out and and Oh Seung-hwan recorded the final 2 outs to earn the save. Lost in this game was Runelvys Hernandez' return to the rotation. Runelvys looks like he's been enjoying the food here while he's been resting. Hernandez looked good on the mound. He tossed 6 innings(75 pitches, 47 strikes) of 2-run baseball against a tough Hanhwa lineup. He allowed only 7 hits while striking out 5.
Lotte 6, LG 0
W - Jang Won-joon (4-4), L - Kim Kwang-su (1-2)
Lotte had a starter throw a complete game shutout. I didn't see that one coming. Jang Won-joon tossed all 9 innings(117 pitches, 76 strikes) and gave the Lotte bullpen a much needed break. He only allowed 6 hit and 2 walks while striking out 6. It felt like he was ahead of every batter and kept LG's thumpers inside the ballpark. Lee Dae-ho drove in 3 runs while going 2-4. I really can't believe that these two teams played a game without hitting a homerun.
Monday, May 25, 2009
5/22 - 5/24 Weekend Roundup
LG vs. Hanhwa
5/22 - LG 10, Hanhwa 4
5/23 - Hanhwa 6, LG 5
5/24 - LG 1, Hanhwa 1
10-4 makes Friday's result sound close. LG was winning 10-0 in the 7th. LG slugger Roberto Petagine clubbed another homerun and had another solid game. Big Bobby finished 2-4 with 1 walk, 1 run scored and 3 RBIs. This LG offense has gone from toothless to awfully solid in just a few months. Petagine and Lee Jin-yeong have given this team just enough punch to be a legitmate threat for a playoff spot. The Twins currently sit 4th in the standings and look like they could stay there. LG starting pitcher Shim Su-chang was given an early lead and coasted for 8 innings(98 pitches, 58 strikes). Shim allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman. He only recorded 2 K's. I have nothing to say about Hanhwa that is either positive or true...moving on...
Hanhwa didn't look much better on Saturday night. Hanhwa ace Ryu Hyeon-jin was wild and ineffective during his 6 innings(102 pitches, 65 strikes) of work. He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 5 walks while striking out 4. He didn't figure in the decision. Between Ryu's shaky start and a mediocre offense, things looked grim for the 6th place Eagles. With LG holding a 5-4 advantage in the 8th inning Hanhwa tied the game on a sac fly from left fielder Yeon Kyeong-heum. Then, in the 9th inning Hanhwa took the lead. Kim Tae-gyun lead off the inning with a base hit through the left side. Kim was immeadiately lifted for a pinch runner. With 2 outs and the runner still stranded on 1st, 3rd baseman Lee Beom-ho ripped a double down the line to score the run and give Hanhwa a 6-5 lead. Brad Thomas tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
LG ace Bong Jung-geun had his best start of the season, but didn't figure in the decision. Bong tossed 9 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 3 hits while striking out 5. His only mistake was serving up a solo homer to Kim Tae-wan in the 4th inning. LG scored its only run on a RBI groundout from Roberto Petagine in the 6th inning. I can't believe that both teams were able to keep the other off the board. Hanhwa reliever Yang Hoon threw 3 scoreless innings. Mr. Yang has a reputation for "Charlie Brown innings."
SK vs. Doosan
5/22 - Doosan 4, SK 2 (12)
5/23 - Doosan 2, SK 1
5/24 - Doosan 5, SK 2
With this sweep, Doosan actually climbed into sole posession of 1st place in the KBO standings and dropped the Wyverns into 2nd place. We might actually have a legit pennant race this season.
With Friday's game tied at one in the top of the 12th inning, the Doosan offense hung a 3-spot on the SK bullpen. With 1 out and a runner on 3rd, Doosan's Oh Jae-won hit a flyball to deep center for a sac fly. The runner scored easily. Then, with 2 outs, Lim Jae-cheol singled to center. The next batter, center fielder Jeong Su-bin, hit a line drive to left that cleared the fence by about 3 feet for a 2-run homer. The insurance runs proved to be important. In the bottom of the 12th, the Wyverns mounted a fake rally. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs, Park Jeong-kwon hit a sac fly to left to score the run and make the score 4-2. That was as close as the Wyverns would get. Choi Jeong and Park Kyeong-wan both struck out to end the game. Kim Kwang-hyeon is the forgotten man in this game. The SK ace turned in an excellent effort, but he couldn't get any support. Kim worked 8 innings(134 pitches, 89 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9.
Both teams struggled to score runs on Saturday as well. Both teams got solid efforts from their pitchers. SK starter Jeong Byeong-du tossed 6 2/3 innings(129 pitches, 81 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Both runs came on solo homers. Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-ju connected in the 4th inning and Jeong Su-bin homered in the 6th. Jeong Byeong-du allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out a season high 13 batters. For Doosan Jeong Jae-hoon turned a fine, albeit abbreviated effort. Jeong tossed 5 innings(88 pitches, 56 strikes) for the Bears. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.
SK's power outage continued on Sunday, but this time they had more of an issue with the Doosan bullpen than the starter. Doosan starting pitcher Hong Sang-sam needed 91 pitches(49 strikes) to throw 4 1/3 innings. He didn't allow any runs, but he did allow 4 hits and 6 walks during his outing. Relievers Lim Tae-hoon and Kim Myeong-jae each allowed a solo homer, but neither allowed SK to launch a serious threat against the Doosan lead. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-sik enjoyed a solid afternoon. Choi finished 3-5 with a solo homer, 1 RBI and 1 runs scored.
Samsung vs. Lotte
5/22 - Samsung 4, Lotte 3
5/23 - Samsung 8, Lotte 5
5/24 - Lotte 7, Samsung 4
Friday's late innings were a wild ride. With Samsung leading 2-0 in the 8th inning, Lee Dae-ho connected for a 2-run homer to tie the game at 2. Then, in the 9th inning, Samsung called on closer Oh Seung-hwan to keep Lotte off the board. He failed. Oh allowed Lotte to take a 3-2 lead on a Park Jeong-joon solo homer. Samsung would not go quietly into the night. Lotte closer Jon Adkins was asked to get the final 3 outs. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in drew a dreaded leadoff walk. The next batter, Kang Bong-gyu hit a grounder to 3rd. The only play was the force out at 1st, so Chae was able to advance to 2nd. Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong hit a shallow flyball to left for the 2nd out. Shin Myeong-cheol stepped to the plate and put Jon Adkins 2-1 offering over the left field fence for a 2-run walk-off homer. Shin met his teammates at the plate and recieved the requisite beating.
On Saturday night, Samsung was actually behind 3-2 in the 6th inning, but a 6-run rally gave the Lions all the runs they would need. All 6 runs came with 2 outs. Jerry Royster must've had a heart attack. With the bases loaded, right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo drew a walk to tie the game at 3. Yang Joon-hyeok drew another bases loaded walk to give Samsung a 4-3 lead. Kang Bong-gyu drilled a single to right to make the score 5-3. Jin Kab-yong kept the line moving with another RBI single to make it 6-3. Kim Chang-hee doubled off the wall to drive in a pair and give Samsung an 8-3 lead. Oh Seung-hwan tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save. No late inning heroics this time.
Determined to get at least one of these games, Lotte absolutely battered poor Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man. Mr. Crooked Cap was knocked around for 5 runs during his 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. I really want to like Ahn, but his constantly getting pummelled isn't helping things. Staked to an early lead, Lotte starter Cho Jeong-hoon was able to cruise for 7 1/3 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes). Cho allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Jon Adkins bounced back from Friday's walk-off to earn the save with a scoreless 9th inning. Lions infielder Shin Myeong-cheol deserves his own column. The career .238 hitter has a .945 OPS in 114 AB's so far. He's leading the Lions in homers(6), RBI's(24) and is 2nd in runs scored (19). All of this while batting leadoff and in his age 31 season. I'm not saying he's breaking any rules, but the Brady Anderson comparisons are there. He homered again on Sunday.
KIA vs. Seoul Heroes
5/22 - Heroes 8, KIA 3
5/23 - Heroes 13, KIA 4
5/24 - KIA 8, Heroes 1
The Heroes got on top of KIA in the third inning thanks to a 3-run bomb from foreign slugger Cliff Brumbaugh. A 4th inning RBI single from shortstop Kang Jeong-ho gave the Heroes a 4-0 advantage. Heroes catcher Kim Dong-su also chipped in 2 RBIs. Kim finished the game 2-3 with a double and a HBP. Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung was able to cruise for most of his 6 innings(108 pitches, 67 strikes). Lee allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.
It was more of the same on Saturday. KIA actually held a lead thanks to a 3-run bomb from Choi Hee-seop in the 1st inning. In the top of the 2nd inning, the Heroes struck for a 6-spot. The rally was capped with a 2-run bomb from Brumbaugh. Cliff added another 2-run homer in the 7th. I'd just like to suggest that Cliff knock off the preening and posing after he hits a big fly. His "slow walk while holding the bat" routine is wearing thin with this blogger. While his teammates were hitting baseballs out of the park, Heroes starting pitcher Jeong Won-sam settled down after the 1st inning homer and kept KIA off the board for the rest of his outing. Jeong worked 6 innings(83 pitches, 55 strikes) while allowing 3 runs on 3 hits. Jeong also struck out 5 while walking none.
Rick Guttormson gave KIA exactly what they needed on Sunday. A starting pitcher that kept the baseball in the park and a quality start. I'm actually really enjoying the games when Rick starts. He works quick, he effecient and the game usually ends in under 3 hours. I'm not getting his face tattooed on my chest, but I am becoming a fan. Guttormson tossed 7 innings(100 pitches, 58 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 6. His only mistake was a 5th inning solo homer to Heroes shortstop Kang Jeong-ho. At the plate for KIA, Na Ji-won and Kim Jong-kuk hit back-to-back solo homers during a 3-run 3rd inning rally. Heroes "ace" Ma Il-yeong needed 90 pitches to record 11 outs. Ma was yanked during the 4th inning. He allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 1 batter.
5/22 - LG 10, Hanhwa 4
5/23 - Hanhwa 6, LG 5
5/24 - LG 1, Hanhwa 1
10-4 makes Friday's result sound close. LG was winning 10-0 in the 7th. LG slugger Roberto Petagine clubbed another homerun and had another solid game. Big Bobby finished 2-4 with 1 walk, 1 run scored and 3 RBIs. This LG offense has gone from toothless to awfully solid in just a few months. Petagine and Lee Jin-yeong have given this team just enough punch to be a legitmate threat for a playoff spot. The Twins currently sit 4th in the standings and look like they could stay there. LG starting pitcher Shim Su-chang was given an early lead and coasted for 8 innings(98 pitches, 58 strikes). Shim allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman. He only recorded 2 K's. I have nothing to say about Hanhwa that is either positive or true...moving on...
Hanhwa didn't look much better on Saturday night. Hanhwa ace Ryu Hyeon-jin was wild and ineffective during his 6 innings(102 pitches, 65 strikes) of work. He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 5 walks while striking out 4. He didn't figure in the decision. Between Ryu's shaky start and a mediocre offense, things looked grim for the 6th place Eagles. With LG holding a 5-4 advantage in the 8th inning Hanhwa tied the game on a sac fly from left fielder Yeon Kyeong-heum. Then, in the 9th inning Hanhwa took the lead. Kim Tae-gyun lead off the inning with a base hit through the left side. Kim was immeadiately lifted for a pinch runner. With 2 outs and the runner still stranded on 1st, 3rd baseman Lee Beom-ho ripped a double down the line to score the run and give Hanhwa a 6-5 lead. Brad Thomas tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
LG ace Bong Jung-geun had his best start of the season, but didn't figure in the decision. Bong tossed 9 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 3 hits while striking out 5. His only mistake was serving up a solo homer to Kim Tae-wan in the 4th inning. LG scored its only run on a RBI groundout from Roberto Petagine in the 6th inning. I can't believe that both teams were able to keep the other off the board. Hanhwa reliever Yang Hoon threw 3 scoreless innings. Mr. Yang has a reputation for "Charlie Brown innings."
SK vs. Doosan
5/22 - Doosan 4, SK 2 (12)
5/23 - Doosan 2, SK 1
5/24 - Doosan 5, SK 2
With this sweep, Doosan actually climbed into sole posession of 1st place in the KBO standings and dropped the Wyverns into 2nd place. We might actually have a legit pennant race this season.
With Friday's game tied at one in the top of the 12th inning, the Doosan offense hung a 3-spot on the SK bullpen. With 1 out and a runner on 3rd, Doosan's Oh Jae-won hit a flyball to deep center for a sac fly. The runner scored easily. Then, with 2 outs, Lim Jae-cheol singled to center. The next batter, center fielder Jeong Su-bin, hit a line drive to left that cleared the fence by about 3 feet for a 2-run homer. The insurance runs proved to be important. In the bottom of the 12th, the Wyverns mounted a fake rally. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs, Park Jeong-kwon hit a sac fly to left to score the run and make the score 4-2. That was as close as the Wyverns would get. Choi Jeong and Park Kyeong-wan both struck out to end the game. Kim Kwang-hyeon is the forgotten man in this game. The SK ace turned in an excellent effort, but he couldn't get any support. Kim worked 8 innings(134 pitches, 89 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9.
Both teams struggled to score runs on Saturday as well. Both teams got solid efforts from their pitchers. SK starter Jeong Byeong-du tossed 6 2/3 innings(129 pitches, 81 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Both runs came on solo homers. Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-ju connected in the 4th inning and Jeong Su-bin homered in the 6th. Jeong Byeong-du allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out a season high 13 batters. For Doosan Jeong Jae-hoon turned a fine, albeit abbreviated effort. Jeong tossed 5 innings(88 pitches, 56 strikes) for the Bears. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.
SK's power outage continued on Sunday, but this time they had more of an issue with the Doosan bullpen than the starter. Doosan starting pitcher Hong Sang-sam needed 91 pitches(49 strikes) to throw 4 1/3 innings. He didn't allow any runs, but he did allow 4 hits and 6 walks during his outing. Relievers Lim Tae-hoon and Kim Myeong-jae each allowed a solo homer, but neither allowed SK to launch a serious threat against the Doosan lead. Doosan 1st baseman Choi Joon-sik enjoyed a solid afternoon. Choi finished 3-5 with a solo homer, 1 RBI and 1 runs scored.
Samsung vs. Lotte
5/22 - Samsung 4, Lotte 3
5/23 - Samsung 8, Lotte 5
5/24 - Lotte 7, Samsung 4
Friday's late innings were a wild ride. With Samsung leading 2-0 in the 8th inning, Lee Dae-ho connected for a 2-run homer to tie the game at 2. Then, in the 9th inning, Samsung called on closer Oh Seung-hwan to keep Lotte off the board. He failed. Oh allowed Lotte to take a 3-2 lead on a Park Jeong-joon solo homer. Samsung would not go quietly into the night. Lotte closer Jon Adkins was asked to get the final 3 outs. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in drew a dreaded leadoff walk. The next batter, Kang Bong-gyu hit a grounder to 3rd. The only play was the force out at 1st, so Chae was able to advance to 2nd. Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong hit a shallow flyball to left for the 2nd out. Shin Myeong-cheol stepped to the plate and put Jon Adkins 2-1 offering over the left field fence for a 2-run walk-off homer. Shin met his teammates at the plate and recieved the requisite beating.
On Saturday night, Samsung was actually behind 3-2 in the 6th inning, but a 6-run rally gave the Lions all the runs they would need. All 6 runs came with 2 outs. Jerry Royster must've had a heart attack. With the bases loaded, right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo drew a walk to tie the game at 3. Yang Joon-hyeok drew another bases loaded walk to give Samsung a 4-3 lead. Kang Bong-gyu drilled a single to right to make the score 5-3. Jin Kab-yong kept the line moving with another RBI single to make it 6-3. Kim Chang-hee doubled off the wall to drive in a pair and give Samsung an 8-3 lead. Oh Seung-hwan tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save. No late inning heroics this time.
Determined to get at least one of these games, Lotte absolutely battered poor Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man. Mr. Crooked Cap was knocked around for 5 runs during his 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. I really want to like Ahn, but his constantly getting pummelled isn't helping things. Staked to an early lead, Lotte starter Cho Jeong-hoon was able to cruise for 7 1/3 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes). Cho allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Jon Adkins bounced back from Friday's walk-off to earn the save with a scoreless 9th inning. Lions infielder Shin Myeong-cheol deserves his own column. The career .238 hitter has a .945 OPS in 114 AB's so far. He's leading the Lions in homers(6), RBI's(24) and is 2nd in runs scored (19). All of this while batting leadoff and in his age 31 season. I'm not saying he's breaking any rules, but the Brady Anderson comparisons are there. He homered again on Sunday.
KIA vs. Seoul Heroes
5/22 - Heroes 8, KIA 3
5/23 - Heroes 13, KIA 4
5/24 - KIA 8, Heroes 1
The Heroes got on top of KIA in the third inning thanks to a 3-run bomb from foreign slugger Cliff Brumbaugh. A 4th inning RBI single from shortstop Kang Jeong-ho gave the Heroes a 4-0 advantage. Heroes catcher Kim Dong-su also chipped in 2 RBIs. Kim finished the game 2-3 with a double and a HBP. Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung was able to cruise for most of his 6 innings(108 pitches, 67 strikes). Lee allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.
It was more of the same on Saturday. KIA actually held a lead thanks to a 3-run bomb from Choi Hee-seop in the 1st inning. In the top of the 2nd inning, the Heroes struck for a 6-spot. The rally was capped with a 2-run bomb from Brumbaugh. Cliff added another 2-run homer in the 7th. I'd just like to suggest that Cliff knock off the preening and posing after he hits a big fly. His "slow walk while holding the bat" routine is wearing thin with this blogger. While his teammates were hitting baseballs out of the park, Heroes starting pitcher Jeong Won-sam settled down after the 1st inning homer and kept KIA off the board for the rest of his outing. Jeong worked 6 innings(83 pitches, 55 strikes) while allowing 3 runs on 3 hits. Jeong also struck out 5 while walking none.
Rick Guttormson gave KIA exactly what they needed on Sunday. A starting pitcher that kept the baseball in the park and a quality start. I'm actually really enjoying the games when Rick starts. He works quick, he effecient and the game usually ends in under 3 hours. I'm not getting his face tattooed on my chest, but I am becoming a fan. Guttormson tossed 7 innings(100 pitches, 58 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 6. His only mistake was a 5th inning solo homer to Heroes shortstop Kang Jeong-ho. At the plate for KIA, Na Ji-won and Kim Jong-kuk hit back-to-back solo homers during a 3-run 3rd inning rally. Heroes "ace" Ma Il-yeong needed 90 pitches to record 11 outs. Ma was yanked during the 4th inning. He allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 1 batter.
This Just Proves That Foreigners Love the KBO...
In the 7th inning of Sunday's Hanhwa/LG matchup, another guy chose to run across the field, but this time his message was a little more positive than last year's barefoot, drunk Canadian or the shirtless Korean dude.
Sporting a Korean national team hat and a Korean flag as a cape, this guy wanted to show all of Seoul how much he likes Korean baseball.
His first stop was center field. He wanted a high five from Park Yong-taek, but Park was ready for a pound. I'm not sure, but I think this concluded with an awkward fist/high five, with the foreign dude clutching Park's fist.
He's heading for second...
Into second standing up...
He's going to try for 3!
But, they've got him in a run down!
And he's out!
Bonus points for the amused umpire just milling around and smiling.
Sporting a Korean national team hat and a Korean flag as a cape, this guy wanted to show all of Seoul how much he likes Korean baseball.
His first stop was center field. He wanted a high five from Park Yong-taek, but Park was ready for a pound. I'm not sure, but I think this concluded with an awkward fist/high five, with the foreign dude clutching Park's fist.
He's heading for second...
Into second standing up...
He's going to try for 3!
But, they've got him in a run down!
And he's out!
Bonus points for the amused umpire just milling around and smiling.
Friday, May 22, 2009
5/21 Roundup and News
A solid article in the Joongang Daily about steroids in the KBO from Mr. Yoo Jee-ho. Jee-ho has always been a favorite of mine and I like what he wrote about PEDs in the KBO. Jee-ho is still the only English language sportswriter in Korea that I actually enjoy reading.
SK 9, Samsung 4
W - Ken Kadokura, L - Bae Yong-su
What a surprise. The Wyverns beat the tar out of another Samsung starter. Bae Yong-su was a little worse than usual last night. He was pummelled for 7 runs on 12 hits and 1 walk during his 4 2/3 innings of work. The fact that he was born in 1981 and pitches like he was born in 1971 makes me worry for my future. This guy is technically younger than I am. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong clubbed another moon shot. In the 5th inning, Choi hit a home run that landed in the last row of seats in center field. I usually sit out in center field and I've never seen a ball make it past the 2nd row, let alone almost leave the park. Ken Kadokura offered another solid outing. Kadokura tossed 6 2/3 innings(88 pitches, 59 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed hits and 1 hit batsman while striking out 3. No one told Samsung right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo that the Lions had surrendered. He turned in an excellent day at the plate. He hit a solo homer in the 6th inning and a 2-run shot in the 8th. He also added a double to finished the game 3-4 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
KIA 13, LG 13 (12)
This game was completed in just under 6 hours. I believe the previous record for the longest game in KBO history was 5 hours, 51 minutes. This one took 5 hours, 58 minutes. I got in a little late last night and I honestly thought they were showing highlights. I couldn't believe that I was watching a live baseball game at 12:30 at night. This game would have been my nightmare. My all-time favorite game that I was in attendance for(other than Game 2 of the '05 World Series) was this one. 99 minutes for a 9-inning baseball game. Bliss. Last night's KIA/LG tilt was the exact opposite.
The two teams combined to use 16 pitchers. KIA starter Aquilino Lopez lasted the longest with a whopping 4 innings pitched. With KIA leading 13-10 in the 9th inning, the Tigers called on uber-closer Yoon Seok-min to record a save with a 3-run lead. LG right fielder Lee Jin-yeong lead off the inning with a base hit to center. The next batter, center fielder Park Yong-taek, reached on an infield single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Then Lee Dae-hyeong hit a bunt(while losing by 3?!?!?! only in Asia) back to Yoon. Yoon double-clutched on the throw and it got away from the KIA 3rd baseman. The first run of the inning was able to cross the plate and the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Pinch hitter Lee Byeong-gyu ripped a double to right/center to score both runners and tie the game at 13. LG loaded the bases in the 9th with one out, but KIA was able to get out of it thanks to a few lazy fly balls. In the bottom of the 12th Choi Hee-seop came to the plate with the tying run on 2nd and 2 outs. He struck out swinging to end the game and immediately destroyed 19 cups of ramyon. KIA scored 13 runs in the first 6 innings, but were shutout for the final six innings.
Doosan/Lotte and Hanhwa/Seoul Heroes were both washed out. No make-up dates have been scheduled yet.
SK 9, Samsung 4
W - Ken Kadokura, L - Bae Yong-su
What a surprise. The Wyverns beat the tar out of another Samsung starter. Bae Yong-su was a little worse than usual last night. He was pummelled for 7 runs on 12 hits and 1 walk during his 4 2/3 innings of work. The fact that he was born in 1981 and pitches like he was born in 1971 makes me worry for my future. This guy is technically younger than I am. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong clubbed another moon shot. In the 5th inning, Choi hit a home run that landed in the last row of seats in center field. I usually sit out in center field and I've never seen a ball make it past the 2nd row, let alone almost leave the park. Ken Kadokura offered another solid outing. Kadokura tossed 6 2/3 innings(88 pitches, 59 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed hits and 1 hit batsman while striking out 3. No one told Samsung right fielder Choi Hyeong-woo that the Lions had surrendered. He turned in an excellent day at the plate. He hit a solo homer in the 6th inning and a 2-run shot in the 8th. He also added a double to finished the game 3-4 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
KIA 13, LG 13 (12)
This game was completed in just under 6 hours. I believe the previous record for the longest game in KBO history was 5 hours, 51 minutes. This one took 5 hours, 58 minutes. I got in a little late last night and I honestly thought they were showing highlights. I couldn't believe that I was watching a live baseball game at 12:30 at night. This game would have been my nightmare. My all-time favorite game that I was in attendance for(other than Game 2 of the '05 World Series) was this one. 99 minutes for a 9-inning baseball game. Bliss. Last night's KIA/LG tilt was the exact opposite.
The two teams combined to use 16 pitchers. KIA starter Aquilino Lopez lasted the longest with a whopping 4 innings pitched. With KIA leading 13-10 in the 9th inning, the Tigers called on uber-closer Yoon Seok-min to record a save with a 3-run lead. LG right fielder Lee Jin-yeong lead off the inning with a base hit to center. The next batter, center fielder Park Yong-taek, reached on an infield single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Then Lee Dae-hyeong hit a bunt(while losing by 3?!?!?! only in Asia) back to Yoon. Yoon double-clutched on the throw and it got away from the KIA 3rd baseman. The first run of the inning was able to cross the plate and the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Pinch hitter Lee Byeong-gyu ripped a double to right/center to score both runners and tie the game at 13. LG loaded the bases in the 9th with one out, but KIA was able to get out of it thanks to a few lazy fly balls. In the bottom of the 12th Choi Hee-seop came to the plate with the tying run on 2nd and 2 outs. He struck out swinging to end the game and immediately destroyed 19 cups of ramyon. KIA scored 13 runs in the first 6 innings, but were shutout for the final six innings.
Doosan/Lotte and Hanhwa/Seoul Heroes were both washed out. No make-up dates have been scheduled yet.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
5/20 Roundup and News
I'm starting to think Ma Hae-yeong didn't actually see anyone take steroids. He's gone from "more than ten" to "single digits" in the matter of days. We know Danny Rios was on them, but is there really anyone else from the past few years that really needs to be looked at? How about a look at the Doosan clubhouse where Rios pitched? Wild speculation here, but how about former Samsung/Hyundai slugger Shim Chang-soo? He showed a ton of power early, only to break down from injuries when he was only 33. Doesn't he fit the "steroid profile" more than some of the foreign sluggers?
If you're a foreigner living in Korea and want to get really pissed off, read this article. The money quote...“Whenever a foreign player who is performing well is seen taking something, players get curious,” the former trainer said. “Foreign players offered banned substances to their teammates whenever approached without hesitation.” Really? Where, exactly, would one get banned substances from in Korea? A trainer perhaps? Scumbag. You know, just on a percentage basis, wouldn't Korean guys be more likely to take PEDs in the KBO? The league is, what, 98% Korean? Come on. I hope Ma sells a lot of books to make this all worth it.
I'm all worked up on a Thursday afternoon. On to the effing roundup...
Lotte 11, Doosan 6
W - Jang Won-joon (3-4), L - Kim Sang-hyeon (2-2)
How did Lotte score 11 runs without a single homer? The bottom third of the order came up big. The Lotte #7, #8 and #9 hitters combined to go 5-10 with 3 walks, 7 RBIs and 2 runs scored. #8 hitter Kim Min-seong drove in 4 runs. Jeong Won-joon ate up more than a few innings and didn't allow Doosan to get deep into Lotte's mediocre bullpen. Jang tossed 7 innings(102 pitches, 68 strikes) while allowing 4 runs. Jang gave up 10 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.
Seoul Heroes 7, Hanhwa 6
W - Shin Cheol-in (2-1), L -Brad Thomas (0-2), S - Hwang Doo-seong (7)
Hanhwa 3rd baseman Lee Beom-ho powered the Eagles to an early lead with an RBI singles in the 1st and 3rd innings and a solo homer in the 5th. Hanhwa took a 6-5 lead into the 9th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs and Brad Thomas on the mound for Hanhwa, Heroes center fielder Lee Taek-geun hit a single through the left side. Lee's base hit scored both runners and gave the Heroes a 7-6 lead. I guess Brad Thomas wasn't using the good steroids today. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save. Doug Clark hit leadoff for the Heroes today. That's new. Clark finished the day 2-5 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. PEDS!!!!!!
SK 10, Samsung 0
W - Song Eun-beom (6-0), L - Cha Woo-chan (1-3)
You know, 10-0 is really lopsided and that makes this sound close. Samsung never had a prayer in this one. The Wyverns took batting practice off whichever zombie was brought in and Song Eun-beom pitched 7 innings(99 pitches, 65 strikes) of shutout baseball without breaking a sweat. Song allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman while striking out 5. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a baseball that landed in Incheon sometime this afternoon. His 2-run homer in the 3rd inning cleared the left field fence by about 25 feet. SK Center fielder Kim Sang-min had a solid day against some rotten pitching. He finished 3-6 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Moving on...
KIA 4, LG 2
W - Yang Hyeon-jong (5-1), L - Choi Won-ho (3-2), S - Yoon Seok-min (7)
KIA got just enough pitching and just enough offense to beat LG. The key to LG is homers, if they hit them in bunches, the tend to win. KIA pitching only surrendered a solo homer to 1st baseman Choi Dong-su in the 2nd inning. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong wasn't spectacular, but he did enough to win. Yang tossed 5 2/3 innings(89 pitches, 62 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min worked both the 8th and 9th innings to earn the save. He only struck out 2 batters this time. In the month of May, Yoon has allowed only 9 baserunners in 17 innings while maintaining a 1.59 ERA.
If you're a foreigner living in Korea and want to get really pissed off, read this article. The money quote...“Whenever a foreign player who is performing well is seen taking something, players get curious,” the former trainer said. “Foreign players offered banned substances to their teammates whenever approached without hesitation.” Really? Where, exactly, would one get banned substances from in Korea? A trainer perhaps? Scumbag. You know, just on a percentage basis, wouldn't Korean guys be more likely to take PEDs in the KBO? The league is, what, 98% Korean? Come on. I hope Ma sells a lot of books to make this all worth it.
I'm all worked up on a Thursday afternoon. On to the effing roundup...
Lotte 11, Doosan 6
W - Jang Won-joon (3-4), L - Kim Sang-hyeon (2-2)
How did Lotte score 11 runs without a single homer? The bottom third of the order came up big. The Lotte #7, #8 and #9 hitters combined to go 5-10 with 3 walks, 7 RBIs and 2 runs scored. #8 hitter Kim Min-seong drove in 4 runs. Jeong Won-joon ate up more than a few innings and didn't allow Doosan to get deep into Lotte's mediocre bullpen. Jang tossed 7 innings(102 pitches, 68 strikes) while allowing 4 runs. Jang gave up 10 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.
Seoul Heroes 7, Hanhwa 6
W - Shin Cheol-in (2-1), L -Brad Thomas (0-2), S - Hwang Doo-seong (7)
Hanhwa 3rd baseman Lee Beom-ho powered the Eagles to an early lead with an RBI singles in the 1st and 3rd innings and a solo homer in the 5th. Hanhwa took a 6-5 lead into the 9th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs and Brad Thomas on the mound for Hanhwa, Heroes center fielder Lee Taek-geun hit a single through the left side. Lee's base hit scored both runners and gave the Heroes a 7-6 lead. I guess Brad Thomas wasn't using the good steroids today. Heroes closer Hwang Doo-seong tossed a scoreless 9th to earn the save. Doug Clark hit leadoff for the Heroes today. That's new. Clark finished the day 2-5 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. PEDS!!!!!!
SK 10, Samsung 0
W - Song Eun-beom (6-0), L - Cha Woo-chan (1-3)
You know, 10-0 is really lopsided and that makes this sound close. Samsung never had a prayer in this one. The Wyverns took batting practice off whichever zombie was brought in and Song Eun-beom pitched 7 innings(99 pitches, 65 strikes) of shutout baseball without breaking a sweat. Song allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman while striking out 5. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a baseball that landed in Incheon sometime this afternoon. His 2-run homer in the 3rd inning cleared the left field fence by about 25 feet. SK Center fielder Kim Sang-min had a solid day against some rotten pitching. He finished 3-6 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Moving on...
KIA 4, LG 2
W - Yang Hyeon-jong (5-1), L - Choi Won-ho (3-2), S - Yoon Seok-min (7)
KIA got just enough pitching and just enough offense to beat LG. The key to LG is homers, if they hit them in bunches, the tend to win. KIA pitching only surrendered a solo homer to 1st baseman Choi Dong-su in the 2nd inning. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong wasn't spectacular, but he did enough to win. Yang tossed 5 2/3 innings(89 pitches, 62 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min worked both the 8th and 9th innings to earn the save. He only struck out 2 batters this time. In the month of May, Yoon has allowed only 9 baserunners in 17 innings while maintaining a 1.59 ERA.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
5/19 Roundup and News
From Brian in Jeollanam-do we get this story about steroids in the KBO. Again, anyone who needs to cheat to play in the KBO needs to find a new line of work. Personally, I think this is just an attempt by Ma Hae-yeong to sell a few books. Honestly, I'll probably buy it, take two months to muddle my way through it and post a review long after the Korean press has had their say.
Aaron at the EWC gives last night's events in Busan a solid write-up with pictures. Jerry Royster was tossed, well, for not much of a reason at all.
We get a reasonably competent article from the Korea Times today on .400 hitters and homerun hitters in the KBO. The money quote comes from Choi's trainer, ``In addition, since he lost more than 10 kilograms, his body condition is excellent. He has also avoided injury. That part is very inspired,'' added Park. I realize this is translated and that's not why I'm making fun of it. It was fairly well known that Choi had a problem with snack foods. I'm guessing not eating 10 cups of ramyon a day probably helped with his weight loss. I'm inspired to do the same.
On to the roundup...
Doosan 11, Lotte 3
W - Goh Chang-seong (2-1), L - Lee Sang-hwa (0-1)
Lotte is a mess right now. They don't have any pitching, except for Jon Adkins in the 9th, but they don't really have a reliable way of getting to him. They also miss Son Min-han more than they thought they would. Gee, really, a guy that gives you 180+ innings each year was important? Adkins should've been used as a starter once the Giants realized Son was going to miss the first half of the year. This game fell apart right after Lee Sang-hwa had to exit due to elbow troubles in the 6th inning. The Lotte bullpen was pummelled for 7 runs in the 4 innings of work. Doosan stars Kim Hyeon-su and Kim Dong-joo are absolutely locked in right now. It's like they're feeding on each other's at bats. Kim Hyeon-su finished the game 2-3 with a homer, 1 RBI and one run scored. Kim Dong-joo went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Doosan starter Hong Sang-nam gave the Bears a quality start. Hong tossed 5 2/3 innings(95 pitches, 59 strikes). For any other team that wouldn't be impressive, but Doosan is notorious for giving its starters an early hook. Hong allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman. He also struck out 6 and surrendered a 2-run bomb to Lotte slugger Lee Dae-ho.
Hanhwa 4, Seoul Heroes 2
W - Yang Hoon (1-3), L - Ma Il-yeong (2-5), S - Brad Thomas (5)
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong has had a tough year and his latest start is just another chapter in that story. Ma tossed 6 1/3 innings(87 pitches, 56 strikes), but surrendered 4 runs, all earned. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. With the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning, Hanhwa put runners on the corners with no one out. Hanhwa center fielder Kang Dong-woo hit a chopper back to the pitcher. The ball hit the top of Ma Il-yeong's glove and bounced away from him. The runner from 3rd scored and everyone else was safe. The next batter, 2nd baseman Lee Yeo-sang hit a chopper past Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun to load the bases for Kim Tae-won. Kim hit a grounder back to the pitcher. Ma threw home to record the force out at the plate. Heroes catcher Kim Dong-su fired the ball to first for the double play, but the throw was offline. Kang Dong-woo never broke stride rounding 3rd and headed for the plate. The Heroes 1st baseman fired the ball home, but Kang came in under the tag to give Hanhwa a 4-2 advantage. Hanhwa closer Brad Thomas threw a scoreless 9th inning to earn the save.
SK 3, Samsung 2
W - Goh Hyo-joon (4-2), L - Ahn Ji-man (2-3), S - Jeong Woo-ram (1)
This one stung a little, but between the Lions and my beloved White Sox, I'm starting to become numb to the losing. This game did feature some of the worst relay throws I have ever seen in professional baseball. SK held a slim 2-1 lead in the 5th inning. With a runner on 3rd and 1 out, catcher Park Kyeong-wan hit a flyball to shallow center. The run would not have scored, but Samsung centerfielder Park Han-yi chose to fire the ball into the catcher anyway. The ball bounced off of catcher Jin Kab-yong's shin guard and ricocheted to the screen behind home plate. The run was able to score on this bonehead play and SK got a much needed insurance run. Then with the bases loaded in the 8th, Samsung pinch hitter Yang Joon-hyeok hits a fly ball to shallow right. The run might've scored, but the throw from SK right fielder Park Jae-sang was about 10 feet over the head of the catcher and twenty feet to his right. The run scored easily to make it a 3-2 ballgame. It was nice to see Ahn Ji-man have a quality start. There's something about that kid, I tells ya. Ahn tossed 6 1/3 innings(83 pitches, 48 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2.
KIA 6, LG 0
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (3-0), L - Bong Jung-geun (3-5)
If KIA can get consistent pitching from a rotation without Yoon Seok-min, they'll make the playoffs. KIA starter Kwak Jeong-cheol threw 5 shutout innings(88 pitches, 47 strikes). He allowed only 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 2. KIA infielder Kim Sang-hyeon hit a 2-run double in the 1st inning to give KIA a 2-0 advantage. The amazing part? Choi Hee-seop scored from first and he DIDN'T need an oxygen mask and no one fell down. KIA also stole 5 bases in this one while hitting 0 homers. What would the odds of that have been before the game? 200-1? 300-1? LG ace Bong Jung-geun was fairly mediocre. Bong needed 80 pitches to record 9 outs. He allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.
Aaron at the EWC gives last night's events in Busan a solid write-up with pictures. Jerry Royster was tossed, well, for not much of a reason at all.
We get a reasonably competent article from the Korea Times today on .400 hitters and homerun hitters in the KBO. The money quote comes from Choi's trainer, ``In addition, since he lost more than 10 kilograms, his body condition is excellent. He has also avoided injury. That part is very inspired,'' added Park. I realize this is translated and that's not why I'm making fun of it. It was fairly well known that Choi had a problem with snack foods. I'm guessing not eating 10 cups of ramyon a day probably helped with his weight loss. I'm inspired to do the same.
On to the roundup...
Doosan 11, Lotte 3
W - Goh Chang-seong (2-1), L - Lee Sang-hwa (0-1)
Lotte is a mess right now. They don't have any pitching, except for Jon Adkins in the 9th, but they don't really have a reliable way of getting to him. They also miss Son Min-han more than they thought they would. Gee, really, a guy that gives you 180+ innings each year was important? Adkins should've been used as a starter once the Giants realized Son was going to miss the first half of the year. This game fell apart right after Lee Sang-hwa had to exit due to elbow troubles in the 6th inning. The Lotte bullpen was pummelled for 7 runs in the 4 innings of work. Doosan stars Kim Hyeon-su and Kim Dong-joo are absolutely locked in right now. It's like they're feeding on each other's at bats. Kim Hyeon-su finished the game 2-3 with a homer, 1 RBI and one run scored. Kim Dong-joo went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Doosan starter Hong Sang-nam gave the Bears a quality start. Hong tossed 5 2/3 innings(95 pitches, 59 strikes). For any other team that wouldn't be impressive, but Doosan is notorious for giving its starters an early hook. Hong allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman. He also struck out 6 and surrendered a 2-run bomb to Lotte slugger Lee Dae-ho.
Hanhwa 4, Seoul Heroes 2
W - Yang Hoon (1-3), L - Ma Il-yeong (2-5), S - Brad Thomas (5)
Heroes ace Ma Il-yeong has had a tough year and his latest start is just another chapter in that story. Ma tossed 6 1/3 innings(87 pitches, 56 strikes), but surrendered 4 runs, all earned. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. With the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning, Hanhwa put runners on the corners with no one out. Hanhwa center fielder Kang Dong-woo hit a chopper back to the pitcher. The ball hit the top of Ma Il-yeong's glove and bounced away from him. The runner from 3rd scored and everyone else was safe. The next batter, 2nd baseman Lee Yeo-sang hit a chopper past Heroes 3rd baseman Hwang Jae-gyun to load the bases for Kim Tae-won. Kim hit a grounder back to the pitcher. Ma threw home to record the force out at the plate. Heroes catcher Kim Dong-su fired the ball to first for the double play, but the throw was offline. Kang Dong-woo never broke stride rounding 3rd and headed for the plate. The Heroes 1st baseman fired the ball home, but Kang came in under the tag to give Hanhwa a 4-2 advantage. Hanhwa closer Brad Thomas threw a scoreless 9th inning to earn the save.
SK 3, Samsung 2
W - Goh Hyo-joon (4-2), L - Ahn Ji-man (2-3), S - Jeong Woo-ram (1)
This one stung a little, but between the Lions and my beloved White Sox, I'm starting to become numb to the losing. This game did feature some of the worst relay throws I have ever seen in professional baseball. SK held a slim 2-1 lead in the 5th inning. With a runner on 3rd and 1 out, catcher Park Kyeong-wan hit a flyball to shallow center. The run would not have scored, but Samsung centerfielder Park Han-yi chose to fire the ball into the catcher anyway. The ball bounced off of catcher Jin Kab-yong's shin guard and ricocheted to the screen behind home plate. The run was able to score on this bonehead play and SK got a much needed insurance run. Then with the bases loaded in the 8th, Samsung pinch hitter Yang Joon-hyeok hits a fly ball to shallow right. The run might've scored, but the throw from SK right fielder Park Jae-sang was about 10 feet over the head of the catcher and twenty feet to his right. The run scored easily to make it a 3-2 ballgame. It was nice to see Ahn Ji-man have a quality start. There's something about that kid, I tells ya. Ahn tossed 6 1/3 innings(83 pitches, 48 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2.
KIA 6, LG 0
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (3-0), L - Bong Jung-geun (3-5)
If KIA can get consistent pitching from a rotation without Yoon Seok-min, they'll make the playoffs. KIA starter Kwak Jeong-cheol threw 5 shutout innings(88 pitches, 47 strikes). He allowed only 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 2. KIA infielder Kim Sang-hyeon hit a 2-run double in the 1st inning to give KIA a 2-0 advantage. The amazing part? Choi Hee-seop scored from first and he DIDN'T need an oxygen mask and no one fell down. KIA also stole 5 bases in this one while hitting 0 homers. What would the odds of that have been before the game? 200-1? 300-1? LG ace Bong Jung-geun was fairly mediocre. Bong needed 80 pitches to record 9 outs. He allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.
Monday, May 18, 2009
5/15 - 5/17 Roundup and News
The KBO played a league wide double-header on Sunday thanks to a nation wide rain storm on Saturday.
The 39 runs scored by the Twins and Heroes were a KBO record. This account of the events is essentially unreadable. This one, by Aaron at the EWC, is slightly more coherent. Which one of these guys is paid to do this again?
Doosan vs Samsung
5/15 - Doosan 5, Samsung 3
5/17 - Samsung 8, Doosan 6
5/17 - Doosan 8, Samsung 7
On Friday the mediocre Samsung offense couldn't overcome an above average pitching performance, while Samsung starter Bae Yong-su was Bae Yong-su. Bae ate up some innings, gave up some runs and threw like he was a decade older than his listed age. Bae is actually a year younger than I am. I suddenly feel ancient. Doosan starter Kim Sang-hyeon was solid, but not spectacular. It occurred to me that Samsung really does not have a middle of the order prescence of any kind. A washed up Yang Joon-hyeok and Park Seok-min(when he's not in the trainer's room) is supposed to scare teams? Really? Samsung has the least scary lineup in the KBO and it's not close. Kim tossed 6 2/3 innings(84 pitches, 53 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. To be fair, Yang did hit his 343rd career homer off of Doosan reliever Lee Jae-woo in the 8th inning, but Samsung never really threatened after the 2nd inning.
In the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, both starting pitchers were pummelled. Samsung starter Francisco Cruceta was chased from the game in the 3rd inning and Doosan starter Jeong Jae-hoon stuck around for 5 innings, but only because his pitch count wasn't ridiculous. Both allowed 6 runs. Somehow, Samsung reliever Kim Sang-su threw 3 scoreless innings. Consecutively. In the same game. Scoreless. Kim has been an arsonist all season. Samsung didn't homer during the game, but 7 of their 14 hits were doubles. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in hit 2 of them and drove in 2 runs. Doosan superstar Kim Hyeon-su posted an interesting stat line. 0-1 with 4 walks and 1 run scored. I was surprised Doosan didn't put him in motion more often. I guess they wanted to save his legs for the 2nd game.
Samsung actually held a lead in the 2nd game of the double header. The Lions lead 7-6 in the 6th inning. Samsung first baseman Chae Tae-in hit another double in the 5th inning to score 2 runs and give Samsung a 7-6 advantage. In addition to the 2-RBI double, Choi finished the game 3-4 with a walk and a run scored. Doosan tied the game in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a sac fly from outfielder Jeong Su-bin. Doosan would later take a 1-run lead in the 8th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Jeong Su-bin drew a walk to score the go-ahead run. Lee Yong-chan struck out 2 during a scoreless 9th inning and recorded the save.
LG vs Seoul Heroes
5/15 - LG 22, Heroes 17
5/17 - LG 11, Heroes 5
5/17 - Heroes 6, LG 5 (11)
Is it just me or is LG in a lot of these games with ridiculous scores? The 39 runs, 40 hits, 84 total bases, 11 homers and 17 runs by the Heroes in a loss were all KBO records. Roberto Petagine, Lee Jin-yeong and Kwon Yong-kwan drove in 5 runs apiece for the Twins. Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man drove in 7 for the Heroes. I'm legitimately surprised that neither Brumbaugh nor Clark went deep in this game.
The first game of the double header was slighty more normal than Friday night's contest. Twins leadoff man Park Yong-taek had a fine night at the plate. His 2-run homer in the 5th inning gave LG a 4-3 lead over the Heroes. The Twins allowed the Heroes to tie the game on a Lee Taek-geun solo homer in the 5th. Park's RBI single in the top of the 6th gave LG a 6-4 lead and proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. Park finished the game 4-4 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.
After being lit up for 33 runs over the previous 18 innings of baseball, the Heroes managed to escape with some dignity in the 2nd game of the Sunday doubleheader. With the Heroes losing 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th, Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man doubled off the wall to lead off the inning. Song advanced to third on Kim Gui-tae's sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Kwon Do-yeong, hit an old school Baltimore Chop to the LG shortstop. Kwon was out at first, but Song was able to score and tie the game at 5. Then in the bottom of the 11th with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, Kang Jang-ho hit a bouncer to the left side of the LG infield. 3rd baseman Jeong Sang-hoon pulled an "ole" and shortstop Kim Tae-won allowed the ball to bounce off his glove. The winning run was able to score while the LG infielders flopped all over themselves. Not exactly Scott Podsednik in the Game Two, but I'm sure the Heroes will take it.
KIA vs SK
5/15 - KIA 5, SK 2 (12)
5/17 - SK 4, KIA 3
5/17 - KIA 4, SK 1
In the battle of the foreign starters on Friday, Lopez and Kadokura have to call it a draw. Senor Smoke threw 7 innings(107 pitches, 77 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8. Ken Kadokura also tossed 7 innings(100 pitches, 60 strikes), but he allowed only 1 run. Kadokura surrendered 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. KIA was losing 2-1 in the 8th, but center fielder Kim Won-seop hit a solo homer to tie the game at 2. In the top of the 12th, KIA rallied for three runs thanks to solo homers from Choi Hee-seop and infielder Kim Sang-hyeon and an RBI single from short stop Lee Hyeon-gon. Yim Joon-hyeok threw a 1-2-3 12th inning to record the save.
In the first game of Sunday's double header, SK gave ace Kim Kwang-hyeon an early lead and he cruised to a complete game victory. In the 1st inning, DH Lee Ho-joon delivered an RBI double and 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a 2-run bomb to give SK a 3-0 lead. Lee would also add an RBI single in the 3rd inning to give SK a 4-1 advantage. Kim Kwang-hyeon needed 125 pitches(80 strikes) to finish the game. He allowed 3 runs on 11 hits and 0 walks. He recorded 5 strikeouts in the game. Not exactly vintage Kim, but a solid effort.
KIA sent Rick Guttormson to the mound in the 2nd game of the double header and he didn't disappoint. Guttormson threw 8 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. KIA infielder Ahn Chi-hong hit a 3-run bomb in the 5th inning that proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min threw a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
Hanwha vs Lotte
5/15 - Lotte 7, Hanwha 1
5/17 - Hanwha 12, Lotte 8
5/17 - Hanhwa 3, Lotte 1
Song Seung-joon gave Lotte a quality start and the Lotte offense provided enough scoring to earn the W. Song tossed 6 1/3 solid innings(105 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. The majority of the Lotte offense came from the 3-4-5 hitters. Left fielder Park Jeong-joon and Karim Garcia hit a solo homers, while #4 hitter Lee Dae-ho hit a 2-run bomb.
Hanwha ace Ryu Hyeon-jin started the first game of Sunday's doubleheader and enjoyed a solid outing. Ryu threw 7 1/3 innings(124 pitches, 79 strikes) of 3-run ball before the Hanwha bullpen allowed the Giants to get back into the game. Ryu allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and one hit batsman while striking out 5. Lotte mounted a fake rally in the 8th and 9th innings, but the Hanwha offense had already exploded for 12 runs and 5 homers. Hanwha infielder Song Kwang-min hit a pair of homers while going 3-4 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Kim Tae-gyun, Lee Do-hyeong and pinch hitter Lee Yeong-woo all went deep against Lotte.
The 2nd game of the double header featured a pair of quality starts from both Lotte and Hanwha. Lotte's Cho Jeong-hoon was the tough luck loser. Cho tossed 8 1/3 innings(108 pitches, 78 strikes) of 3-run baseball. Cho allowed 9 hits and 0 walks while striking out 5. Hanwha's Kim Hyeok-min was slightly better on Sunday night. Kim allowed only 1 run during his 7 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes) of work. He surrendered only 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman during his start. He recorded 5 outs via the strikeout. With the score tied at 1 in the top of the 7th inning with a runner on 1st and o outs, Lee Beom-ho hit a double to center field that scored the run and untied the game. Hanwha added an insurance run on an RBI double by Yoon Jae-kuk in the top of the 9th. Brad Thomas recorded the final 5 outs in order to earn the save.
The 39 runs scored by the Twins and Heroes were a KBO record. This account of the events is essentially unreadable. This one, by Aaron at the EWC, is slightly more coherent. Which one of these guys is paid to do this again?
Doosan vs Samsung
5/15 - Doosan 5, Samsung 3
5/17 - Samsung 8, Doosan 6
5/17 - Doosan 8, Samsung 7
On Friday the mediocre Samsung offense couldn't overcome an above average pitching performance, while Samsung starter Bae Yong-su was Bae Yong-su. Bae ate up some innings, gave up some runs and threw like he was a decade older than his listed age. Bae is actually a year younger than I am. I suddenly feel ancient. Doosan starter Kim Sang-hyeon was solid, but not spectacular. It occurred to me that Samsung really does not have a middle of the order prescence of any kind. A washed up Yang Joon-hyeok and Park Seok-min(when he's not in the trainer's room) is supposed to scare teams? Really? Samsung has the least scary lineup in the KBO and it's not close. Kim tossed 6 2/3 innings(84 pitches, 53 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. To be fair, Yang did hit his 343rd career homer off of Doosan reliever Lee Jae-woo in the 8th inning, but Samsung never really threatened after the 2nd inning.
In the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, both starting pitchers were pummelled. Samsung starter Francisco Cruceta was chased from the game in the 3rd inning and Doosan starter Jeong Jae-hoon stuck around for 5 innings, but only because his pitch count wasn't ridiculous. Both allowed 6 runs. Somehow, Samsung reliever Kim Sang-su threw 3 scoreless innings. Consecutively. In the same game. Scoreless. Kim has been an arsonist all season. Samsung didn't homer during the game, but 7 of their 14 hits were doubles. Samsung 1st baseman Chae Tae-in hit 2 of them and drove in 2 runs. Doosan superstar Kim Hyeon-su posted an interesting stat line. 0-1 with 4 walks and 1 run scored. I was surprised Doosan didn't put him in motion more often. I guess they wanted to save his legs for the 2nd game.
Samsung actually held a lead in the 2nd game of the double header. The Lions lead 7-6 in the 6th inning. Samsung first baseman Chae Tae-in hit another double in the 5th inning to score 2 runs and give Samsung a 7-6 advantage. In addition to the 2-RBI double, Choi finished the game 3-4 with a walk and a run scored. Doosan tied the game in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a sac fly from outfielder Jeong Su-bin. Doosan would later take a 1-run lead in the 8th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Jeong Su-bin drew a walk to score the go-ahead run. Lee Yong-chan struck out 2 during a scoreless 9th inning and recorded the save.
LG vs Seoul Heroes
5/15 - LG 22, Heroes 17
5/17 - LG 11, Heroes 5
5/17 - Heroes 6, LG 5 (11)
Is it just me or is LG in a lot of these games with ridiculous scores? The 39 runs, 40 hits, 84 total bases, 11 homers and 17 runs by the Heroes in a loss were all KBO records. Roberto Petagine, Lee Jin-yeong and Kwon Yong-kwan drove in 5 runs apiece for the Twins. Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man drove in 7 for the Heroes. I'm legitimately surprised that neither Brumbaugh nor Clark went deep in this game.
The first game of the double header was slighty more normal than Friday night's contest. Twins leadoff man Park Yong-taek had a fine night at the plate. His 2-run homer in the 5th inning gave LG a 4-3 lead over the Heroes. The Twins allowed the Heroes to tie the game on a Lee Taek-geun solo homer in the 5th. Park's RBI single in the top of the 6th gave LG a 6-4 lead and proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. Park finished the game 4-4 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.
After being lit up for 33 runs over the previous 18 innings of baseball, the Heroes managed to escape with some dignity in the 2nd game of the Sunday doubleheader. With the Heroes losing 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th, Heroes right fielder Song Ji-man doubled off the wall to lead off the inning. Song advanced to third on Kim Gui-tae's sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Kwon Do-yeong, hit an old school Baltimore Chop to the LG shortstop. Kwon was out at first, but Song was able to score and tie the game at 5. Then in the bottom of the 11th with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, Kang Jang-ho hit a bouncer to the left side of the LG infield. 3rd baseman Jeong Sang-hoon pulled an "ole" and shortstop Kim Tae-won allowed the ball to bounce off his glove. The winning run was able to score while the LG infielders flopped all over themselves. Not exactly Scott Podsednik in the Game Two, but I'm sure the Heroes will take it.
KIA vs SK
5/15 - KIA 5, SK 2 (12)
5/17 - SK 4, KIA 3
5/17 - KIA 4, SK 1
In the battle of the foreign starters on Friday, Lopez and Kadokura have to call it a draw. Senor Smoke threw 7 innings(107 pitches, 77 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 9 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8. Ken Kadokura also tossed 7 innings(100 pitches, 60 strikes), but he allowed only 1 run. Kadokura surrendered 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. KIA was losing 2-1 in the 8th, but center fielder Kim Won-seop hit a solo homer to tie the game at 2. In the top of the 12th, KIA rallied for three runs thanks to solo homers from Choi Hee-seop and infielder Kim Sang-hyeon and an RBI single from short stop Lee Hyeon-gon. Yim Joon-hyeok threw a 1-2-3 12th inning to record the save.
In the first game of Sunday's double header, SK gave ace Kim Kwang-hyeon an early lead and he cruised to a complete game victory. In the 1st inning, DH Lee Ho-joon delivered an RBI double and 3rd baseman Choi Jeong hit a 2-run bomb to give SK a 3-0 lead. Lee would also add an RBI single in the 3rd inning to give SK a 4-1 advantage. Kim Kwang-hyeon needed 125 pitches(80 strikes) to finish the game. He allowed 3 runs on 11 hits and 0 walks. He recorded 5 strikeouts in the game. Not exactly vintage Kim, but a solid effort.
KIA sent Rick Guttormson to the mound in the 2nd game of the double header and he didn't disappoint. Guttormson threw 8 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. KIA infielder Ahn Chi-hong hit a 3-run bomb in the 5th inning that proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min threw a scoreless 9th to earn the save.
Hanwha vs Lotte
5/15 - Lotte 7, Hanwha 1
5/17 - Hanwha 12, Lotte 8
5/17 - Hanhwa 3, Lotte 1
Song Seung-joon gave Lotte a quality start and the Lotte offense provided enough scoring to earn the W. Song tossed 6 1/3 solid innings(105 pitches, 63 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. The majority of the Lotte offense came from the 3-4-5 hitters. Left fielder Park Jeong-joon and Karim Garcia hit a solo homers, while #4 hitter Lee Dae-ho hit a 2-run bomb.
Hanwha ace Ryu Hyeon-jin started the first game of Sunday's doubleheader and enjoyed a solid outing. Ryu threw 7 1/3 innings(124 pitches, 79 strikes) of 3-run ball before the Hanwha bullpen allowed the Giants to get back into the game. Ryu allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and one hit batsman while striking out 5. Lotte mounted a fake rally in the 8th and 9th innings, but the Hanwha offense had already exploded for 12 runs and 5 homers. Hanwha infielder Song Kwang-min hit a pair of homers while going 3-4 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Kim Tae-gyun, Lee Do-hyeong and pinch hitter Lee Yeong-woo all went deep against Lotte.
The 2nd game of the double header featured a pair of quality starts from both Lotte and Hanwha. Lotte's Cho Jeong-hoon was the tough luck loser. Cho tossed 8 1/3 innings(108 pitches, 78 strikes) of 3-run baseball. Cho allowed 9 hits and 0 walks while striking out 5. Hanwha's Kim Hyeok-min was slightly better on Sunday night. Kim allowed only 1 run during his 7 innings(98 pitches, 61 strikes) of work. He surrendered only 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman during his start. He recorded 5 outs via the strikeout. With the score tied at 1 in the top of the 7th inning with a runner on 1st and o outs, Lee Beom-ho hit a double to center field that scored the run and untied the game. Hanwha added an insurance run on an RBI double by Yoon Jae-kuk in the top of the 9th. Brad Thomas recorded the final 5 outs in order to earn the save.
Friday, May 15, 2009
5/14 Roundup and News
Between computer problems, Teacher's Day and going to Seoul to watch Doosan and Samsung get rained out, I've got some catching up to do. Here is an extremely late Thursday roundup...
Needing PEDs to succeed in the KBO is the saddest thing I have ever heard. If you honestly can't compete without juicing here, it's probably time to find a new line of work.
Rick Bauer has officially landed in Korea and the K-press was there to greet him. I may not remember much about the Rick Bauer era in Korea, but I will remember this goofy photo of him in the airport.
SK 8, LG 4
W - Song Eun-beom (5-0), L - Choi Won-ho (3-1)
I get the impression that Song was told he was going 9 innings before the game started. SK's bullpen has been used an awful lot over the last few days and it appears that they needed a day off before the weekend series with KIA. Song completed the game, but it took him 144 pitches to do so. 88 went for strikes. Song allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7. The Wyverns gave Song a 1st inning lead on a solo homer from Park Jeong-kwan, but LG rallied in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Outfielder Lee Jin-yeong delivered a key 2-run homer to help LG take the advantage. SK came storming back thanks to a pair of 2-run homers from Choi Jeong and Park Jae-sang and a solo shot from Jeong Sang-ho.
Doosan 11, Heroes 4
W - Lim Tae-hoon (3-1), L - Lee Bo-geun (0-1)
The Heroes kept this game close for a while, but the middle of Doosan's lineup really clobbered the Heroes bullpen. In the 8th inning, Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo hit a grand slam to give Doosan an 11-4 lead and put the ballgame out of reach. While Kim's homer was impressive, the game ball would have to go to Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su. Hyeon-su finished the game 3-5 with 3 walks, 2 homers, 5 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Kim hit a solo homer in the first and a 3-run homer in the 5th inning. The 5th inning homer was an absolute bomb to straightaway center.
KIA 14, Hanwha 3
W - Yang Hyeon-jong (4-1), L - Hwang Jae-gyu (0-2)
If it weren't for Song Kwang-min's 2-run homer in the 9th, the final would have been 14-1. Yeah, 14-3 sounds a lot better. KIA blasted 6 homeruns off of Hanwha pitching while KIA was able to cruise to an easy W. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-joon tossed 5 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits an 2 walks while striking out 10. The high strikeout total took its toll on Yang, he needed 114 pitches(77 strikes) to record 15 outs. I'd go over the individual homers, but it would be easier to tell you which players DIDN'T hit homers.
Lotte 8, Samsung 6
W - Kang Yeong-sik (1-1), L - Kim Sang-su (1-2), S - Jon Adkins (8)
All you need to know about this game is that the Samsung bullpen was awful. With a 6-5 lead in the 8th inning, Samsung called on Kwon Hyeok and Oh Seung-hwan to get them out of a jam. Kwon recorded an strikeout, but gave up a walk to load the bases. Oh Seung-hwan came on to try to get out of the jam and he promptly surrendered a bases clearing double to Lotte infielder Kim Min-seong. Lotte DH Hong Seong-heun was thrown out trying to score from first. I think he needed an oxygen mask. Kim's double gave Lotte a 7-6 lead. They tacked on an insurance run when shortstop Park Ki-hyuk singled to score Kim from 2nd. Jon Adkins threw a scoreless 9th to record the save. Other than Samsung's bullpen being bad, Lotte's Kim Min-seong had an excellent game. He finished 3-4 with a double, a homer, 6 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Yang Joon-hyeok also clubbed his 342nd career homerun.
Needing PEDs to succeed in the KBO is the saddest thing I have ever heard. If you honestly can't compete without juicing here, it's probably time to find a new line of work.
Rick Bauer has officially landed in Korea and the K-press was there to greet him. I may not remember much about the Rick Bauer era in Korea, but I will remember this goofy photo of him in the airport.
SK 8, LG 4
W - Song Eun-beom (5-0), L - Choi Won-ho (3-1)
I get the impression that Song was told he was going 9 innings before the game started. SK's bullpen has been used an awful lot over the last few days and it appears that they needed a day off before the weekend series with KIA. Song completed the game, but it took him 144 pitches to do so. 88 went for strikes. Song allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7. The Wyverns gave Song a 1st inning lead on a solo homer from Park Jeong-kwan, but LG rallied in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Outfielder Lee Jin-yeong delivered a key 2-run homer to help LG take the advantage. SK came storming back thanks to a pair of 2-run homers from Choi Jeong and Park Jae-sang and a solo shot from Jeong Sang-ho.
Doosan 11, Heroes 4
W - Lim Tae-hoon (3-1), L - Lee Bo-geun (0-1)
The Heroes kept this game close for a while, but the middle of Doosan's lineup really clobbered the Heroes bullpen. In the 8th inning, Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo hit a grand slam to give Doosan an 11-4 lead and put the ballgame out of reach. While Kim's homer was impressive, the game ball would have to go to Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su. Hyeon-su finished the game 3-5 with 3 walks, 2 homers, 5 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Kim hit a solo homer in the first and a 3-run homer in the 5th inning. The 5th inning homer was an absolute bomb to straightaway center.
KIA 14, Hanwha 3
W - Yang Hyeon-jong (4-1), L - Hwang Jae-gyu (0-2)
If it weren't for Song Kwang-min's 2-run homer in the 9th, the final would have been 14-1. Yeah, 14-3 sounds a lot better. KIA blasted 6 homeruns off of Hanwha pitching while KIA was able to cruise to an easy W. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-joon tossed 5 innings of 1-run baseball. He allowed only 5 hits an 2 walks while striking out 10. The high strikeout total took its toll on Yang, he needed 114 pitches(77 strikes) to record 15 outs. I'd go over the individual homers, but it would be easier to tell you which players DIDN'T hit homers.
Lotte 8, Samsung 6
W - Kang Yeong-sik (1-1), L - Kim Sang-su (1-2), S - Jon Adkins (8)
All you need to know about this game is that the Samsung bullpen was awful. With a 6-5 lead in the 8th inning, Samsung called on Kwon Hyeok and Oh Seung-hwan to get them out of a jam. Kwon recorded an strikeout, but gave up a walk to load the bases. Oh Seung-hwan came on to try to get out of the jam and he promptly surrendered a bases clearing double to Lotte infielder Kim Min-seong. Lotte DH Hong Seong-heun was thrown out trying to score from first. I think he needed an oxygen mask. Kim's double gave Lotte a 7-6 lead. They tacked on an insurance run when shortstop Park Ki-hyuk singled to score Kim from 2nd. Jon Adkins threw a scoreless 9th to record the save. Other than Samsung's bullpen being bad, Lotte's Kim Min-seong had an excellent game. He finished 3-4 with a double, a homer, 6 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Yang Joon-hyeok also clubbed his 342nd career homerun.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
5/13 Roundup and News
LG has dumped Chris Oxspring and signed Rick Bauer. I'm guessing we'll see Rick used to shore up the back end of the LG bullpen.
It sounds like the KBO is going to step up drug testing for foreign ballplayers. What's not mentioned in the article is testing for domestic players. If you're going to test the foreign guys, you might as well test the locals as well. The money quote is from Hanwha manager Kim In-sik, "There is an obligation to test foreigners for drugs." I hope he talked to Brad Thomas and Victor Diaz before making this announcement. Most of this drug paranoia comes from the fact that Danny Rios was caught using in Japan after he had a historic season with the Doosan Bears. I thought it was pretty obvious he was on something all along, but no one seemed to care when he was rattling off W after W and posting an a sub-3.00 ERA.
On to the roundup...
SK 2, LG 1
W - Goh Hyo-joon (3-2), L - Bong Jung-geun (3-4), S - Chae Byeong-yeong (2)
This was a far cry from last night's effort. Both teams recieved quality starts from their starting pitchers, but SK's Goh was a little better than LG's Bong. Goh tossed 7 innings(108 pitches, 65 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. LG's only run came on a SAC fly by outfielder Lee Jin-yeong in the 6th inning. LG ace Bong Jung-geun pitched well enough to win, but just didn't get any help from the LG offense. I guess the bats were tired from that 8 run rally yesterday. Bong threw 8 solid innings(124 pitches, 82 strikes) in his start. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7. SK broke a 1-1 tie in the 7th inning thanks to a solo homer from infielder Mo Chang-min. SK reliever Chae Byeong-yeong struck out the final batter of the game to record the vulture save. I was surprised to see none of the bad blood from Tuesday night spill over into last night's game. No one was spiked or drilled.
Doosan 11, Seoul Heroes 4
W - Lee Jae-woo (2-1), L - Kim Seong-hyeon (1-2)
This game was actually tied at 3 in the 7th inning, but Doosan mounted an 8-run rally to take an 11-3 lead. The Heroes bullpen essentially threw batting practice. 4 pitchers were needed to record 3 outs and 2 of them didn't record any. Lee Sang-yeol and Shin Cheol-in both faced 2 batters and allowed both of them to reach base. 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo and 2nd baseman Kim Jae-ho both hit key RBI doubles to bust the inning open. Doosan catcher Choi Seung-hwan chose to get a combo meal last night. He homered and stole a base. I can't remember the last time a KBO catcher did that in the same game. Choi finished 2-2 with 2 walks, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored. Heroes starting pitcher Ma Il-yeong posted his first adequate start in weeks. Ma tossed 5 2/3 innings(90 pitches, 54 strikes) allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He only managed 1 strikeout. That's troubling.
KIA 10, Hanwha 8
W - Yoo Dong-hoon (2-2), L - Yoon Gyu-jin (0-3), S- Yoon Seok-min (5)
This was your typical KBO meatgrinder game. I can't believe the two teams only combined to use 9 pitchers. This should have been a minimum 12 pitcher game by KBO standards. This game was all about offense. Both starting pitchers posted numbers to ugly to write about. KIA shortstop Lee Jong-beom and 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon both posted 3 RBI games. KIA leapt out to an early 9-3 lead, but allowed Hanwha to get back into it with a 4-run rally in the 5th inning. The inning started with two consecutive fielding errors. That's a great sign that you're team is about to give up 4 runs. 1st baseman Hong Se-hwan let a throw bounce off his glove and 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon allowed a ball to roll between his legs. The look on Kim's face was absolutely priceless. Immeadiately after the errors, Kim Tae-wan clubbed a double to score both runs. The next batter, catcher Lee Do-hyeong, hit a two-run bomb to left just to make sure that KIA paid for the errors. Yoon Seok-min recorded another save, but he allowed a solo homer to Lee Beom-ho in the 9th. Lee is uncanny, if Hanwha has a lead or a deficit in the late innings, he's guaranteed to hit a meaningless homerun.
Lotte 6, Samsung 5
W - Lee Jeong-hoon (1-1), L - Jeong Hyeon-wook (1-2)
Park Jin-man gets the award for strange line of the night. 0-2 with 3 RBI's. He drove in 3 runs all on sacrifices. Way to be a team player. My favorite crummy pitcher, Ahn Ji-man, got the start for Samsung and was pummelled. Ahn lasted 3 innings(69 pitches, 42 strikes), but allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He did manage 3 K's and 1 crooked cap. Samsung infielder Park Seok-min returned to the lineup and had a solid evening. He hit and RBI double in the 3rd and a solo homer in the 5th. They even walked him in the 9th with a runner in scoring position. I'd really like to see Park get going. He's a fun guy to watch...when he's healthy. With the score tied at 5 in the bottom of the 9th, Samsung turned to Jeong Hyeon-wook to get them to extra innings. He failed. With one out and the bases empty, Lotte left fielder Park Jeong-joon reached on an infield single. The next batter, pinch hitter Lee In-koo singled through the left side to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Then, 1st baseman Kim Joo-chan ripped a double off the wall in left to score Park from 2nd and get Kim beaten up by his teammates.
It sounds like the KBO is going to step up drug testing for foreign ballplayers. What's not mentioned in the article is testing for domestic players. If you're going to test the foreign guys, you might as well test the locals as well. The money quote is from Hanwha manager Kim In-sik, "There is an obligation to test foreigners for drugs." I hope he talked to Brad Thomas and Victor Diaz before making this announcement. Most of this drug paranoia comes from the fact that Danny Rios was caught using in Japan after he had a historic season with the Doosan Bears. I thought it was pretty obvious he was on something all along, but no one seemed to care when he was rattling off W after W and posting an a sub-3.00 ERA.
On to the roundup...
SK 2, LG 1
W - Goh Hyo-joon (3-2), L - Bong Jung-geun (3-4), S - Chae Byeong-yeong (2)
This was a far cry from last night's effort. Both teams recieved quality starts from their starting pitchers, but SK's Goh was a little better than LG's Bong. Goh tossed 7 innings(108 pitches, 65 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. LG's only run came on a SAC fly by outfielder Lee Jin-yeong in the 6th inning. LG ace Bong Jung-geun pitched well enough to win, but just didn't get any help from the LG offense. I guess the bats were tired from that 8 run rally yesterday. Bong threw 8 solid innings(124 pitches, 82 strikes) in his start. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7. SK broke a 1-1 tie in the 7th inning thanks to a solo homer from infielder Mo Chang-min. SK reliever Chae Byeong-yeong struck out the final batter of the game to record the vulture save. I was surprised to see none of the bad blood from Tuesday night spill over into last night's game. No one was spiked or drilled.
Doosan 11, Seoul Heroes 4
W - Lee Jae-woo (2-1), L - Kim Seong-hyeon (1-2)
This game was actually tied at 3 in the 7th inning, but Doosan mounted an 8-run rally to take an 11-3 lead. The Heroes bullpen essentially threw batting practice. 4 pitchers were needed to record 3 outs and 2 of them didn't record any. Lee Sang-yeol and Shin Cheol-in both faced 2 batters and allowed both of them to reach base. 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo and 2nd baseman Kim Jae-ho both hit key RBI doubles to bust the inning open. Doosan catcher Choi Seung-hwan chose to get a combo meal last night. He homered and stole a base. I can't remember the last time a KBO catcher did that in the same game. Choi finished 2-2 with 2 walks, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored. Heroes starting pitcher Ma Il-yeong posted his first adequate start in weeks. Ma tossed 5 2/3 innings(90 pitches, 54 strikes) allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He only managed 1 strikeout. That's troubling.
KIA 10, Hanwha 8
W - Yoo Dong-hoon (2-2), L - Yoon Gyu-jin (0-3), S- Yoon Seok-min (5)
This was your typical KBO meatgrinder game. I can't believe the two teams only combined to use 9 pitchers. This should have been a minimum 12 pitcher game by KBO standards. This game was all about offense. Both starting pitchers posted numbers to ugly to write about. KIA shortstop Lee Jong-beom and 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon both posted 3 RBI games. KIA leapt out to an early 9-3 lead, but allowed Hanwha to get back into it with a 4-run rally in the 5th inning. The inning started with two consecutive fielding errors. That's a great sign that you're team is about to give up 4 runs. 1st baseman Hong Se-hwan let a throw bounce off his glove and 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon allowed a ball to roll between his legs. The look on Kim's face was absolutely priceless. Immeadiately after the errors, Kim Tae-wan clubbed a double to score both runs. The next batter, catcher Lee Do-hyeong, hit a two-run bomb to left just to make sure that KIA paid for the errors. Yoon Seok-min recorded another save, but he allowed a solo homer to Lee Beom-ho in the 9th. Lee is uncanny, if Hanwha has a lead or a deficit in the late innings, he's guaranteed to hit a meaningless homerun.
Lotte 6, Samsung 5
W - Lee Jeong-hoon (1-1), L - Jeong Hyeon-wook (1-2)
Park Jin-man gets the award for strange line of the night. 0-2 with 3 RBI's. He drove in 3 runs all on sacrifices. Way to be a team player. My favorite crummy pitcher, Ahn Ji-man, got the start for Samsung and was pummelled. Ahn lasted 3 innings(69 pitches, 42 strikes), but allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He did manage 3 K's and 1 crooked cap. Samsung infielder Park Seok-min returned to the lineup and had a solid evening. He hit and RBI double in the 3rd and a solo homer in the 5th. They even walked him in the 9th with a runner in scoring position. I'd really like to see Park get going. He's a fun guy to watch...when he's healthy. With the score tied at 5 in the bottom of the 9th, Samsung turned to Jeong Hyeon-wook to get them to extra innings. He failed. With one out and the bases empty, Lotte left fielder Park Jeong-joon reached on an infield single. The next batter, pinch hitter Lee In-koo singled through the left side to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Then, 1st baseman Kim Joo-chan ripped a double off the wall in left to score Park from 2nd and get Kim beaten up by his teammates.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
5/12 Roundup and News
SK 16, LG 10 (12)
W - Lim Seong-heon (1-0) , L - Woo Gyu-min (0-1)
Whew. I'm really not sure where to start with this one. The two teams combined to use 17 pitchers and 23 runs of the 26 total runs were scored AFTER the 7th inning. I guess the 9th inning is as good a place as any to start with this recap.
SK held a 4-1 advantage heading into the top of the 9th inning. The Wyverns mounted a 5-run rally to extend their advantage to 9-1. With the bases loaded, SK infielder Ahn Kyeong-hyeon hit a bouncer to short that Park Yong-geun allowed to bounce off of his chest. The 1st run of the inning scored and everyone was safe. SK shortstop Na Joo-hwan tacked on 2 more runs with a 2-RBI single. Center fielder Kim Kang-min scored another with an RBI single. 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo added another run with yet ANOTHER RBI single. Losing 9-1 in the bottom of the 9th, things looked bleak, but if any team can mount a ridiculous comeback, it's LG. With the bases loaded and 0 outs, LG outfielder Lee Bong-gyu drove in the 1st run of the inning with an RBI groundout. The next batter, Jeong Seong-hoon doubled to right/center to score 2 more runs and cut the deficit to 9-4. With runners on 1st and 3rd an still only 1 out. LG DH Choi Dong-su singled to left, but the SK left fielder misplayed the ball terribly and allowed it to roll to the wall. When the dust settled, Choi was standing on 2nd and the score was 9-6. Lee Jin-yeong hit a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Choi and make it 9-7. Then, with 2 outs and the bases loaded, Kim Tae-won doubled to left to score 2 more and tie the game at 9. Comeback-completed! In the top of the 10th, SK added a run on a RBI double from catcher Park Kyeong-wan. LG answered right back in the bottom of the 10th with a solo homer from 1st baseman Roberto Petagine. In the top of the 12th, SK mounted a 6-run rally that is tough to describe. LG started the inning with a fielding error and things just snowballed. SK took the lead on a RBI double from pinch hitter Jeong Sang-ho. Between walks, hits, fielding errors and hit batsmen, things got out of hand quickly for LG. Woo Gyu-min was ejected for drilling Mo Chang-min. I thought the LG fans were going to riot. It was pretty obvious that getting tossed was the only way Woo was leaving the game. I was surprised he protested. DH Choi Dong-su was brought in to finish the inning and he retired the only batter he faced on 2 pitches. Ken Kadokura finished the game for SK. He allowed a hit, but recorded 3 outs before LG could mount a 6-run rally.
Doosan 3, Seoul Heroes 1
W - Kim Sun-woo (5-3), L - Lee Hyeon-seung (4-2), S - Lee Yong-chan (7)
Look at Kim Sun-woo bouncing back with the quality start! Kim tossed 5 shutout innings(88 pitches, 52 strikes). He allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Doosan broke a scoreless tie in the 3rd inning when catcher Choi Seung-hwan hit a solo homer to center. Doosan tacked on 2 more runs in the 6th inning. Center fielder Min Byeong-hyeon hit a single through the left side with a runner on 2nd to score Doosan's 2nd run. With 2 outs, 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo lifted a fly ball to center. Heroes center fielder Lee Taek-geun missed the catch on an ill advised dive. Min scored easily from first to give Doosan a 3-0 advantage. Heroes shortstop Kang Jeong-ho hit a solo homer in the 8th inning to give the Heroes their only run. Doosan closer Lee Yong-chan struck out Kang Byeong-sik on 5 pitches to end the game and vulture the save.
Hanwha 10, KIA 1
W - Kim Hyeok-min (4-1), L - Lee Beom-seok (0-1)
This game was actually closer than the 10-1 final would indicate. Hanwha only held a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning, but a 5-run rally in the 7th and a 3-run rally in the 8th lead to the lopsided final. Hanwha 1st baseman Kim Tae-wan is absolutely locked in right now. He finished the game 2-2 with 2 walks, 2 homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. His first homer was a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning that gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead. He added another 2-run blast in the 8th inning to make the score 10-1. Hanwha starting pitcher Kim Hyeok-min was the benificiary of Hanwha's offensive outburst and nice work by the Hanwha bullpen. Kim worked 5+ innings(89 pitches, 58 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. His only mistake came when Choi Hee-seop hit a solo homer in the top of the 6th. Kim was pulled right after surrendering the longball. The KIA bullpen was a complete disaster in the late innings. Relievers Kim Yong-su and Cho Tae-su combined to allow 8 runs and 3 homers. They were throwing batting practice to one of the more dangerous teams in the league. Not a good combination.
Lotte 8, Samsung 5
W - Jon Adkins (2-0), L - Cho Hyeon-geun (0-1)
Lotte had pummeled Samsung starter Yoon Seong-hwan early and often. During his 5 innings(95 pitches, 61 strikes) of work, Yoon allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk. Lotte left fielder Lee In-koo hit a solo homer in the 1st and Karim Garcia hit a 2-run bomb in the 2nd off of Yoon. Samsung was losing 5-2 in the 8th inning when they rallied to tie the game at 5. With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, Samsung 3rd baseman Son Joo-in singled to make the score 5-3. Lotte closer Jon Adkins was called in to get Lotte out of the inning. The first batter he faced, Samsung 2nd baseman Shin Myeong-cheol, singled up the middle. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, Chae Tae-in drew a walk to load the bases. Adkins thought it was strike 3, but replays showed the umpire got the call right. The next batter, Samsung right fielder Kang Bong-gyu, doubled down the line to score 2 runs and tie the game at 5. Yang Joon-hyeok drew a walk to load the bases again, but the next batter, Choi Hyeong-woo, struck out swinging to end the threat. Lotte would match Samsung's 3-run rally in the bottom of the 8th. Karim Garcia started the inning with a leadoff double. He was lifted for a pinch hitter and Samsung brought in Jeong Hyeon-wook to relieve Cho Hyeon-geun. Jeong promptly threw a pickoff throw into center field and the go-ahead run advanced to 3rd. Lotte DH Hong Seung-hoon bounced a base hit past the 3rd baseman score the runner from 3rd and break the 5-5 tie. Jeong drilled the next batter while he was attempting to bunt. The following batter got the bunt down without being drilled. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, Lee In-koo doubled to left/center to make the score 8-5. Adkins stayed on for a fairly uneventful 9th.
W - Lim Seong-heon (1-0) , L - Woo Gyu-min (0-1)
Whew. I'm really not sure where to start with this one. The two teams combined to use 17 pitchers and 23 runs of the 26 total runs were scored AFTER the 7th inning. I guess the 9th inning is as good a place as any to start with this recap.
SK held a 4-1 advantage heading into the top of the 9th inning. The Wyverns mounted a 5-run rally to extend their advantage to 9-1. With the bases loaded, SK infielder Ahn Kyeong-hyeon hit a bouncer to short that Park Yong-geun allowed to bounce off of his chest. The 1st run of the inning scored and everyone was safe. SK shortstop Na Joo-hwan tacked on 2 more runs with a 2-RBI single. Center fielder Kim Kang-min scored another with an RBI single. 2nd baseman Jeong Geun-woo added another run with yet ANOTHER RBI single. Losing 9-1 in the bottom of the 9th, things looked bleak, but if any team can mount a ridiculous comeback, it's LG. With the bases loaded and 0 outs, LG outfielder Lee Bong-gyu drove in the 1st run of the inning with an RBI groundout. The next batter, Jeong Seong-hoon doubled to right/center to score 2 more runs and cut the deficit to 9-4. With runners on 1st and 3rd an still only 1 out. LG DH Choi Dong-su singled to left, but the SK left fielder misplayed the ball terribly and allowed it to roll to the wall. When the dust settled, Choi was standing on 2nd and the score was 9-6. Lee Jin-yeong hit a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Choi and make it 9-7. Then, with 2 outs and the bases loaded, Kim Tae-won doubled to left to score 2 more and tie the game at 9. Comeback-completed! In the top of the 10th, SK added a run on a RBI double from catcher Park Kyeong-wan. LG answered right back in the bottom of the 10th with a solo homer from 1st baseman Roberto Petagine. In the top of the 12th, SK mounted a 6-run rally that is tough to describe. LG started the inning with a fielding error and things just snowballed. SK took the lead on a RBI double from pinch hitter Jeong Sang-ho. Between walks, hits, fielding errors and hit batsmen, things got out of hand quickly for LG. Woo Gyu-min was ejected for drilling Mo Chang-min. I thought the LG fans were going to riot. It was pretty obvious that getting tossed was the only way Woo was leaving the game. I was surprised he protested. DH Choi Dong-su was brought in to finish the inning and he retired the only batter he faced on 2 pitches. Ken Kadokura finished the game for SK. He allowed a hit, but recorded 3 outs before LG could mount a 6-run rally.
Doosan 3, Seoul Heroes 1
W - Kim Sun-woo (5-3), L - Lee Hyeon-seung (4-2), S - Lee Yong-chan (7)
Look at Kim Sun-woo bouncing back with the quality start! Kim tossed 5 shutout innings(88 pitches, 52 strikes). He allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Doosan broke a scoreless tie in the 3rd inning when catcher Choi Seung-hwan hit a solo homer to center. Doosan tacked on 2 more runs in the 6th inning. Center fielder Min Byeong-hyeon hit a single through the left side with a runner on 2nd to score Doosan's 2nd run. With 2 outs, 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo lifted a fly ball to center. Heroes center fielder Lee Taek-geun missed the catch on an ill advised dive. Min scored easily from first to give Doosan a 3-0 advantage. Heroes shortstop Kang Jeong-ho hit a solo homer in the 8th inning to give the Heroes their only run. Doosan closer Lee Yong-chan struck out Kang Byeong-sik on 5 pitches to end the game and vulture the save.
Hanwha 10, KIA 1
W - Kim Hyeok-min (4-1), L - Lee Beom-seok (0-1)
This game was actually closer than the 10-1 final would indicate. Hanwha only held a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning, but a 5-run rally in the 7th and a 3-run rally in the 8th lead to the lopsided final. Hanwha 1st baseman Kim Tae-wan is absolutely locked in right now. He finished the game 2-2 with 2 walks, 2 homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. His first homer was a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning that gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead. He added another 2-run blast in the 8th inning to make the score 10-1. Hanwha starting pitcher Kim Hyeok-min was the benificiary of Hanwha's offensive outburst and nice work by the Hanwha bullpen. Kim worked 5+ innings(89 pitches, 58 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. His only mistake came when Choi Hee-seop hit a solo homer in the top of the 6th. Kim was pulled right after surrendering the longball. The KIA bullpen was a complete disaster in the late innings. Relievers Kim Yong-su and Cho Tae-su combined to allow 8 runs and 3 homers. They were throwing batting practice to one of the more dangerous teams in the league. Not a good combination.
Lotte 8, Samsung 5
W - Jon Adkins (2-0), L - Cho Hyeon-geun (0-1)
Lotte had pummeled Samsung starter Yoon Seong-hwan early and often. During his 5 innings(95 pitches, 61 strikes) of work, Yoon allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk. Lotte left fielder Lee In-koo hit a solo homer in the 1st and Karim Garcia hit a 2-run bomb in the 2nd off of Yoon. Samsung was losing 5-2 in the 8th inning when they rallied to tie the game at 5. With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, Samsung 3rd baseman Son Joo-in singled to make the score 5-3. Lotte closer Jon Adkins was called in to get Lotte out of the inning. The first batter he faced, Samsung 2nd baseman Shin Myeong-cheol, singled up the middle. With runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, Chae Tae-in drew a walk to load the bases. Adkins thought it was strike 3, but replays showed the umpire got the call right. The next batter, Samsung right fielder Kang Bong-gyu, doubled down the line to score 2 runs and tie the game at 5. Yang Joon-hyeok drew a walk to load the bases again, but the next batter, Choi Hyeong-woo, struck out swinging to end the threat. Lotte would match Samsung's 3-run rally in the bottom of the 8th. Karim Garcia started the inning with a leadoff double. He was lifted for a pinch hitter and Samsung brought in Jeong Hyeon-wook to relieve Cho Hyeon-geun. Jeong promptly threw a pickoff throw into center field and the go-ahead run advanced to 3rd. Lotte DH Hong Seung-hoon bounced a base hit past the 3rd baseman score the runner from 3rd and break the 5-5 tie. Jeong drilled the next batter while he was attempting to bunt. The following batter got the bunt down without being drilled. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, Lee In-koo doubled to left/center to make the score 8-5. Adkins stayed on for a fairly uneventful 9th.
Monday, May 11, 2009
5/8 - 5/10 Roundup and News
I've been interviewed at Ron Rollins' Baseball Over There blog. Hardly newsworthy, but if you were at all curious about me, now you have a few answers. Ron does an excellent job of following baseball all over the world and his blog is worthy of your attention.
Yang Joon-hyeok finally hit his 341st homerun. What they don't mention was that he, erm, overslept for a 2 o'clock game the next day. My guess is, he hit the soju a little too hard and couldn't stagger to the ballpark in time. I wouldn't be surprised if 341 shots of soju were involved in his evening.
CJ Nitkowski is on twitter. The money quote comes from 6 days ago, "I am in Busan and the team warned us not to go out at night because the fans here hate us and are crazy."
Not baseball related, but Daegu related. Daegu Pockets, a bi-lingual magazine for expats, has been launched and, well, it looks pretty cool and sounds fairly useful. Here's a link to their website.
I'm probably going to start posting slash stats in the next few days or so now that we actually have more than a few weeks of data. For hitters it'll be BA/OBP/SLG and for pitchers, probably just WHIP and ERA, unless I feel motivated to do K:BB.
On to the roundup...
Doosan vs. Hanwha
5/8 - Doosan 6, Hanwha 2
5/9 - Doosan 4, Hanwha 3
5/10 -Doosan 4, Hanwha 0
Doosan's relief pitching absolutely handcuffed the potent Hanwha offense this weekend.
On Friday Doosan starter Hwang Sang-sam pitched well enough to win, but it was the 4 shutout innings of relief work from the Doosan bullpen that lead them to victory. 4 Doosan relievers combined to limit Hanwha to only 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su solid night at the plate. He went 3-4 with 2 doubles, a stolen base, 1 RBI and 1 run scored. He's Mr. Everything right now for Doosan. Doosan DH Choi Joon-seok drove in a pair of runs with a single during a key 3-run rally in the 3rd inning. Choi's single proved to be the game winning runs.
The Doosan bullpen came up big again on Saturday. Doosan starter Kim Sang-hyeon was chased from the game after only 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed all 3 Eagles runs to score on 7 hits and 2 walks. Kim managed to strike out 3. 4 Doosan relievers combined to finish the game without giving up any runs. Hanwha ace Ryu Hyeon-jin was fairly mediocre in his Saturday start. He lasted only 5 innings(101 pitches, 60 strikes) and surrendered all 4 runs(3 earned) en route to his first loss. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Losing 3-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Doosan rallied to take the lead. With a runner on 3rd and 1 out, Kim Hyeon-su hit a grounder to short. Hanwha shortstop Oh Seon-jin struggled to find the handle and Kim was able to beat the throw. The runner on third was able to score on the play. The next batter, 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo, clubbed a Ryu Hyeon-jin offering into the left field seats for a 2-run homer. Kim's blast would be the last time anyone crossed the plate on Saturday, both bullpens kept the other team off the scoreboard.
Doosan starting pitcher Jeong Jae-hoon gave the Doosan bullpen some relief on Sunday. Jeong worked 7 innings(97 pitches, 64 strikes) of shutout baseball. He allowed only 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batter while striking out 6. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Doosan center fielder Min Byeong-hyeon delivered an RBI double to break the scoreless tie. Then, With runners on the corners and 0 outs, Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su hit a 1-0 offering from Ahn Yeong-myeong over the right field fence for a 3-run homer. Kim finished the game 2-4 with 1 K.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
5/8 - SK 4, Heroes 4
5/ 9 - SK 7, Heroes 3
5/10 - SK 8, Heroes 2
Friday's game took over 4 hours to complete. I was able to watch Samsung get clobbered by LG, take the subway home and catch the end of this game. The Heroes got all their scoring from 2 2-run homers. Jeong Su-seong went deep in the 3rd and Kang Jeong-ho launched one in the 8th. SK catcher Park Kyeong-wan was the SK offense. He hit a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning to give SK an early lead. Then, with SK losing 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th, Park hit an RBI single to left that scored Park Jae-hong and tied the game at 4. Nothing remotely interesting happened in the final 4 innings and SK was stuck with its 4th tie of the season.
Ken Kadokura rebounded from his a shaky start last week to give SK a quality effort. Kadokura tossed 6 1/3 innings(91 pitches, 54 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. The only runs he allowed came in the 4th inning. Kadokura surrendered solo homers to Hwang Jae-gyun and Kang Jeong-ho. All of SK's offense came via the long ball. Park Jae-hong hit a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game at 2. SK infielder Park Jeong-kwon followed Jae-hong's blast with a grand slam in the 5th. 1st baseman Lee Ho-joon ended the scoring with a solo shot in the 6th to give SK a 7-2 lead. The Heroes mounted a fake rally in the 8th, but it was too little, too late.
The SK offense battered Heroes starter Jeong Won-sam, while SK ace Kim Kwang-hyeon was able to cruise. Jeong lasted only 4 2/3 innings on Sunday. He allowed 3 runs on hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 5. The guy that relieved him didn't do much better. After Jeong was removed, the Heroes bullpen threw BP. SK rallied for 3 runs in the 6th and 2 more in the 7th. Kim Kwang-hyeon, wasn't great, but he was good enough to win. Kim tossed 6 2/3 innings(114 pitches, 72 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 8. I get the impression that Kim is still suffering a WBC hangover, but he seems to be figuring things out.
Samsung vs. LG
5/8 - LG 11, Samsung 3
5/9 - LG 5, Samsung 1
5/10 - Samsung 3, LG 1
If you are a Samsung fan, like me, and chose to attend Friday night's contest, like me, you walked home really disappointed. Samsung was awful. They couldn't pitch, they couldn't hit, they even had a little trouble catching and throwing. Whatever. 4 different Twins had at least 2 RBIs. The less said about this game the better, but Shin Myeong-cheol continued his surprising hot streak. he hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning that landed 5 rows in front of me in CF. I'm getting older and I chose not to join the scrum for the ball. Moving on...
More of the same for Samsung on Saturday, except when they hit their superfluous solo homerun in the 6th inning, everyone had to cheer. It was Yang Joon-hyeok's 341st career homer. I'm happy for the big fella. This record has been within his grasp for a while. I was surprised that he didn't do this earlier. LG's Jeong Jae-bok threw 5 shutout innings, while Bae Yong-su was pummelled mercilessly. This time only 2 LG batters had 2 RBI nights. Hey! That's half as many as Friday! I'm encouraged!
Francisco Cruceta gave the Lions a quality start and look at what they did with it! Cruceta threw 6 innings(95 pitches, 49 strikes) of shutout baseball. He allowed 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 2. In the 3rd inning, Samsung right fielder Park Han-yi hit a grounder to first to score Son Joo-in from 3rd and give Samsung a 1-run lead. Shin Myeong-cheol delivered RBI singles in the 5th and 7th to extend Samsung's lead. Oh Seung-hwan struck out the side in the 9th to record the save.
KIA vs. Lotte
5/8 - KIA 4, Lotte 3
5/9 - Lotte 5, KIA 4
5/10 - KIA 2, Lotte 1
If you had told me that the combined scoring for both teams would be in the single digits for all three games of this series, I would have called you a liar, liar.
On Friday night Lee Dae-ho was the Lotte offense. He hit a solo homer in the 2nd and a 2-run bomb in the 8th to account for all 3 Lotte runs. Lee was the only Giant that could solve KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong. Yang worked 7 innings(104 pitches, 68 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. KIA had a pair of 2-run rallies in the 5th and 6th innings to account for their offense. Kim Won-seop hit a key RBI double in the 6th inning to give KIA a 4-1 advantage. After Lee's 2nd homer, Kim's double proved to be the difference in the ballgame. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min retired the final five batters in order to record the save. He struck out 3.
Saturday's game featured a strange pitching line from KIA starter Aquilino Lopez. He threw a complete game(122 pitches, 75 strikes), but surrendered 5 runs and most of them came during a 4-run rally in the 4th inning. Lopez allowed 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. 5 of Lotte's 8 baserunners came during the key rally. Lotte was lucky that they were able to keep the score close, let alone come away with a W. Lotte starter Song Seung-joon was brutal. In only 1 2/3 innings of work, Song surrendered 3 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks. Somehow, he struck a batter out. That guy's face must've been red. The Lotte bullpen had to work 7 1/3 innings. It was mostly scoreless, except for reliever Kim Sa-yul surrendering a solo homer to KIA catcher Kim Sang-hoon in the 8th inning. Kim's homer made it a one run game, but that was as close as KIA could get. Jon Adkins shut the door by retiring the final 4 batters in order for the save.
Sunday featured the same inept offenses. KIA starting pitcher Rick Guttormson shutdown the Lotte offense for the 2nd time this season. Guttormson worked 7 innings(109 pitches, 68 strikes) of 1-run ball. He allowed only 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9. Lotte starter Kim Yoo-shin needed 86 pitches to record 13 outs. He was pulled during the 5th inning. Kim surrendered only 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. With the score tied at 1 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Lotte's Lee Jong-min came in to pitch. He drilled the first batter, Hong Se-won, in the head. Hong was pulled for a pinch runner. The next batter, 1st baseman Jang Seong-ho hit a chopper to 2nd base. It was fielded cleanly, but the throw hit the heel of 1st baseman Lee Dae-ho's glove and he dropped it. KIA had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Then, KIA 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon hit a bouncer up the middle for a basehit. It was slow enough to get the runner in from 2nd and give KIA a 2-1 lead. I can't believe he didn't bunt. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min threw a scoreless 9th inning for his 2nd save of the series.
Yang Joon-hyeok finally hit his 341st homerun. What they don't mention was that he, erm, overslept for a 2 o'clock game the next day. My guess is, he hit the soju a little too hard and couldn't stagger to the ballpark in time. I wouldn't be surprised if 341 shots of soju were involved in his evening.
CJ Nitkowski is on twitter. The money quote comes from 6 days ago, "I am in Busan and the team warned us not to go out at night because the fans here hate us and are crazy."
Not baseball related, but Daegu related. Daegu Pockets, a bi-lingual magazine for expats, has been launched and, well, it looks pretty cool and sounds fairly useful. Here's a link to their website.
I'm probably going to start posting slash stats in the next few days or so now that we actually have more than a few weeks of data. For hitters it'll be BA/OBP/SLG and for pitchers, probably just WHIP and ERA, unless I feel motivated to do K:BB.
On to the roundup...
Doosan vs. Hanwha
5/8 - Doosan 6, Hanwha 2
5/9 - Doosan 4, Hanwha 3
5/10 -Doosan 4, Hanwha 0
Doosan's relief pitching absolutely handcuffed the potent Hanwha offense this weekend.
On Friday Doosan starter Hwang Sang-sam pitched well enough to win, but it was the 4 shutout innings of relief work from the Doosan bullpen that lead them to victory. 4 Doosan relievers combined to limit Hanwha to only 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8. Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su solid night at the plate. He went 3-4 with 2 doubles, a stolen base, 1 RBI and 1 run scored. He's Mr. Everything right now for Doosan. Doosan DH Choi Joon-seok drove in a pair of runs with a single during a key 3-run rally in the 3rd inning. Choi's single proved to be the game winning runs.
The Doosan bullpen came up big again on Saturday. Doosan starter Kim Sang-hyeon was chased from the game after only 4 1/3 innings of work. He allowed all 3 Eagles runs to score on 7 hits and 2 walks. Kim managed to strike out 3. 4 Doosan relievers combined to finish the game without giving up any runs. Hanwha ace Ryu Hyeon-jin was fairly mediocre in his Saturday start. He lasted only 5 innings(101 pitches, 60 strikes) and surrendered all 4 runs(3 earned) en route to his first loss. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Losing 3-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Doosan rallied to take the lead. With a runner on 3rd and 1 out, Kim Hyeon-su hit a grounder to short. Hanwha shortstop Oh Seon-jin struggled to find the handle and Kim was able to beat the throw. The runner on third was able to score on the play. The next batter, 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo, clubbed a Ryu Hyeon-jin offering into the left field seats for a 2-run homer. Kim's blast would be the last time anyone crossed the plate on Saturday, both bullpens kept the other team off the scoreboard.
Doosan starting pitcher Jeong Jae-hoon gave the Doosan bullpen some relief on Sunday. Jeong worked 7 innings(97 pitches, 64 strikes) of shutout baseball. He allowed only 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batter while striking out 6. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Doosan center fielder Min Byeong-hyeon delivered an RBI double to break the scoreless tie. Then, With runners on the corners and 0 outs, Doosan left fielder Kim Hyeon-su hit a 1-0 offering from Ahn Yeong-myeong over the right field fence for a 3-run homer. Kim finished the game 2-4 with 1 K.
SK vs. Seoul Heroes
5/8 - SK 4, Heroes 4
5/ 9 - SK 7, Heroes 3
5/10 - SK 8, Heroes 2
Friday's game took over 4 hours to complete. I was able to watch Samsung get clobbered by LG, take the subway home and catch the end of this game. The Heroes got all their scoring from 2 2-run homers. Jeong Su-seong went deep in the 3rd and Kang Jeong-ho launched one in the 8th. SK catcher Park Kyeong-wan was the SK offense. He hit a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning to give SK an early lead. Then, with SK losing 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th, Park hit an RBI single to left that scored Park Jae-hong and tied the game at 4. Nothing remotely interesting happened in the final 4 innings and SK was stuck with its 4th tie of the season.
Ken Kadokura rebounded from his a shaky start last week to give SK a quality effort. Kadokura tossed 6 1/3 innings(91 pitches, 54 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed only 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. The only runs he allowed came in the 4th inning. Kadokura surrendered solo homers to Hwang Jae-gyun and Kang Jeong-ho. All of SK's offense came via the long ball. Park Jae-hong hit a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game at 2. SK infielder Park Jeong-kwon followed Jae-hong's blast with a grand slam in the 5th. 1st baseman Lee Ho-joon ended the scoring with a solo shot in the 6th to give SK a 7-2 lead. The Heroes mounted a fake rally in the 8th, but it was too little, too late.
The SK offense battered Heroes starter Jeong Won-sam, while SK ace Kim Kwang-hyeon was able to cruise. Jeong lasted only 4 2/3 innings on Sunday. He allowed 3 runs on hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 5. The guy that relieved him didn't do much better. After Jeong was removed, the Heroes bullpen threw BP. SK rallied for 3 runs in the 6th and 2 more in the 7th. Kim Kwang-hyeon, wasn't great, but he was good enough to win. Kim tossed 6 2/3 innings(114 pitches, 72 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He allowed 4 hits, 4 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 8. I get the impression that Kim is still suffering a WBC hangover, but he seems to be figuring things out.
Samsung vs. LG
5/8 - LG 11, Samsung 3
5/9 - LG 5, Samsung 1
5/10 - Samsung 3, LG 1
If you are a Samsung fan, like me, and chose to attend Friday night's contest, like me, you walked home really disappointed. Samsung was awful. They couldn't pitch, they couldn't hit, they even had a little trouble catching and throwing. Whatever. 4 different Twins had at least 2 RBIs. The less said about this game the better, but Shin Myeong-cheol continued his surprising hot streak. he hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning that landed 5 rows in front of me in CF. I'm getting older and I chose not to join the scrum for the ball. Moving on...
More of the same for Samsung on Saturday, except when they hit their superfluous solo homerun in the 6th inning, everyone had to cheer. It was Yang Joon-hyeok's 341st career homer. I'm happy for the big fella. This record has been within his grasp for a while. I was surprised that he didn't do this earlier. LG's Jeong Jae-bok threw 5 shutout innings, while Bae Yong-su was pummelled mercilessly. This time only 2 LG batters had 2 RBI nights. Hey! That's half as many as Friday! I'm encouraged!
Francisco Cruceta gave the Lions a quality start and look at what they did with it! Cruceta threw 6 innings(95 pitches, 49 strikes) of shutout baseball. He allowed 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 2. In the 3rd inning, Samsung right fielder Park Han-yi hit a grounder to first to score Son Joo-in from 3rd and give Samsung a 1-run lead. Shin Myeong-cheol delivered RBI singles in the 5th and 7th to extend Samsung's lead. Oh Seung-hwan struck out the side in the 9th to record the save.
KIA vs. Lotte
5/8 - KIA 4, Lotte 3
5/9 - Lotte 5, KIA 4
5/10 - KIA 2, Lotte 1
If you had told me that the combined scoring for both teams would be in the single digits for all three games of this series, I would have called you a liar, liar.
On Friday night Lee Dae-ho was the Lotte offense. He hit a solo homer in the 2nd and a 2-run bomb in the 8th to account for all 3 Lotte runs. Lee was the only Giant that could solve KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong. Yang worked 7 innings(104 pitches, 68 strikes) of 1-run baseball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. KIA had a pair of 2-run rallies in the 5th and 6th innings to account for their offense. Kim Won-seop hit a key RBI double in the 6th inning to give KIA a 4-1 advantage. After Lee's 2nd homer, Kim's double proved to be the difference in the ballgame. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min retired the final five batters in order to record the save. He struck out 3.
Saturday's game featured a strange pitching line from KIA starter Aquilino Lopez. He threw a complete game(122 pitches, 75 strikes), but surrendered 5 runs and most of them came during a 4-run rally in the 4th inning. Lopez allowed 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. 5 of Lotte's 8 baserunners came during the key rally. Lotte was lucky that they were able to keep the score close, let alone come away with a W. Lotte starter Song Seung-joon was brutal. In only 1 2/3 innings of work, Song surrendered 3 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks. Somehow, he struck a batter out. That guy's face must've been red. The Lotte bullpen had to work 7 1/3 innings. It was mostly scoreless, except for reliever Kim Sa-yul surrendering a solo homer to KIA catcher Kim Sang-hoon in the 8th inning. Kim's homer made it a one run game, but that was as close as KIA could get. Jon Adkins shut the door by retiring the final 4 batters in order for the save.
Sunday featured the same inept offenses. KIA starting pitcher Rick Guttormson shutdown the Lotte offense for the 2nd time this season. Guttormson worked 7 innings(109 pitches, 68 strikes) of 1-run ball. He allowed only 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9. Lotte starter Kim Yoo-shin needed 86 pitches to record 13 outs. He was pulled during the 5th inning. Kim surrendered only 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. With the score tied at 1 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Lotte's Lee Jong-min came in to pitch. He drilled the first batter, Hong Se-won, in the head. Hong was pulled for a pinch runner. The next batter, 1st baseman Jang Seong-ho hit a chopper to 2nd base. It was fielded cleanly, but the throw hit the heel of 1st baseman Lee Dae-ho's glove and he dropped it. KIA had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Then, KIA 3rd baseman Kim Sang-hyeon hit a bouncer up the middle for a basehit. It was slow enough to get the runner in from 2nd and give KIA a 2-1 lead. I can't believe he didn't bunt. KIA closer Yoon Seok-min threw a scoreless 9th inning for his 2nd save of the series.
Friday, May 8, 2009
5/7 Roundup and News
It was ladies night last night in Seoul. The Doosan Bears chose to wear these uni's. Somehow, I don't think these are going to sell quite as well as these.
LG 7, Doosan 1
W - Bong Jung-geun (3-3), L - Kim Sun-woo (4-3)
This matchup of Korean guys that once took up space on an MLB roster was clearly won by Bong. The LG ace threw 8 innings(97 pitches, 66 strikes) of 1-run baseball. His only mistake came when he allowed Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo to hit a fastball into the seats in the 7th inning. Bong allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 9. Kim Sun-woo had a little more trouble with the LG lineup. Kim lasted 5 2/3 innings(77 pitches, 47 strikes), but he allowed 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 hit batsmen. Somehow, he struck out 3 batters. Most of the damage on Kim came during LG's 4-run rally in the 6th inning. Kim surrendered an RBI single to Roberto Petagine and loaded the bases with 2 outs. He was quickly yanked for reliever Park Jeong-bae. Park allowed a wild pitch to give LG a 5-0 lead. Then, LG catcher Kim Jeong-min shot a ball under the legs of Doosan 1st baseman Lee Won-seok. 2 runs scored to give LG a 7-0 advantage. Doosan's Kim Dong-joo would pad his stats with a solo homer, but Doosan never threatened. Actually Kim was the Doosan offense, in addition to his solo homer, he also added a single. He accounted for both Doosan hits.
KIA 10, Seoul Heroes 3
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (2-0), L - Lee Dong-hak (1-2)
With the score tied at 1 in the 5th inning, KIA loaded the bases for Kim Sang-hyeon. Kim put a 1-0 pitch from Cho Yong-hoon over the left field fence for a grand slam. The slam gave KIA a 5-1 lead. KIA slugger Choi Hee-seop added a solo homer in 7th to give KIA a 6-2 lead and pad his stats. KIA mounted a 4-run "Eff you!" rally in the 9th inning. I guess they wanted to make sure the Heroes knew they were beaten. Heroes reliever Jang Hyo-hoon stayed in for the 9th inning and essentially threw batting practice. It was an ugly end to an ugly night for Heroes pitching. Doug Clark hit a "Why Not?" solo homer in the bottom of the 9th. If they're going to force him to play while losing 10-2, he might as well try.
Samsung 6, Hanwha 5
W - Ahn Ji-man (2-2), L - Yoo Won-sang (0-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (9)
Samsung took a 4-0 lead after a 3-run rally in the 2nd inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, infielder Shin Myeong-cheol hit a deep fly ball to left/center that would bounce over the fence for a ground rule double. Both runners were allowed to score on the play. The next batter, Samsung outfielder Kang Bong-gyu, doubled off the wall in right to score Shin. Hanwha started Yoo Won-sang was chased from the game after only 3 innings pitched. With the early cushion, Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man was allowed to cruise for 5 2/3 innings(95 pitches, 61 strikes). Ahn allowed only 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 K's. While trying to hold a 6-2 lead in the 9th inning, the Samsung bullpen put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Oh Seung-hwan was called upon to record the last two outs. Hanwha 3rd baseman Lee Yeo-sang crushed a 2-2 offering over the fence in centerfield for a 3-run homer. Oh would get the next two outs, but does he really deserve a save for giving up a 3-run bomb?
Lotte 4, SK 3
W - Jang Won-joon (2-4), L - Goh Hyo-joon (2-2), S - Jon Adkins (6)
Jang Won-joon gave Lotte a quality start and the Lotte offense gave him just enough offense to win. Jang threw 8 innings(114 pitches, 68 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 9 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. All of the damage inflicted by SK came in the early innings. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong and catcher Park Kyeong-wan both hit solo homers in the first inning to give SK a 2-0 lead. SK starting pitcher Eom Jeong-wook lasted only 8 pitches. Lotte's Kim Joo-chan hit a leadoff single. Then Lee Seung-hwa hit another single to put runners on the corners with 0 outs. Lee In-gu hit a sac fly to score Kim from 3rd and that was it for Eom. Lotte would score again in the 2nd to tie the game, but Park Kyeong-won hit an RBI single that scored Choi Jeong from 3rd. Park's RBI gave SK a 3-2 lead. Lotte would rally for 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th. 1st baseman Kim Joo-chan would double off the wall in center to score catcher Choi Ki-moon from 3rd and tie the game at 3. Then, Lee Seung-hwa ripped a single to center to score Kim and give Lotte a 4-3 advantage. In the 9th inning, Lotte closer Jon Adkins would surrender a hit, but he struck out 2 while finishing off the Wyverns and recording the save.
LG 7, Doosan 1
W - Bong Jung-geun (3-3), L - Kim Sun-woo (4-3)
This matchup of Korean guys that once took up space on an MLB roster was clearly won by Bong. The LG ace threw 8 innings(97 pitches, 66 strikes) of 1-run baseball. His only mistake came when he allowed Doosan 3rd baseman Kim Dong-joo to hit a fastball into the seats in the 7th inning. Bong allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 9. Kim Sun-woo had a little more trouble with the LG lineup. Kim lasted 5 2/3 innings(77 pitches, 47 strikes), but he allowed 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 hit batsmen. Somehow, he struck out 3 batters. Most of the damage on Kim came during LG's 4-run rally in the 6th inning. Kim surrendered an RBI single to Roberto Petagine and loaded the bases with 2 outs. He was quickly yanked for reliever Park Jeong-bae. Park allowed a wild pitch to give LG a 5-0 lead. Then, LG catcher Kim Jeong-min shot a ball under the legs of Doosan 1st baseman Lee Won-seok. 2 runs scored to give LG a 7-0 advantage. Doosan's Kim Dong-joo would pad his stats with a solo homer, but Doosan never threatened. Actually Kim was the Doosan offense, in addition to his solo homer, he also added a single. He accounted for both Doosan hits.
KIA 10, Seoul Heroes 3
W - Kwak Jeong-cheol (2-0), L - Lee Dong-hak (1-2)
With the score tied at 1 in the 5th inning, KIA loaded the bases for Kim Sang-hyeon. Kim put a 1-0 pitch from Cho Yong-hoon over the left field fence for a grand slam. The slam gave KIA a 5-1 lead. KIA slugger Choi Hee-seop added a solo homer in 7th to give KIA a 6-2 lead and pad his stats. KIA mounted a 4-run "Eff you!" rally in the 9th inning. I guess they wanted to make sure the Heroes knew they were beaten. Heroes reliever Jang Hyo-hoon stayed in for the 9th inning and essentially threw batting practice. It was an ugly end to an ugly night for Heroes pitching. Doug Clark hit a "Why Not?" solo homer in the bottom of the 9th. If they're going to force him to play while losing 10-2, he might as well try.
Samsung 6, Hanwha 5
W - Ahn Ji-man (2-2), L - Yoo Won-sang (0-2), S - Oh Seung-hwan (9)
Samsung took a 4-0 lead after a 3-run rally in the 2nd inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, infielder Shin Myeong-cheol hit a deep fly ball to left/center that would bounce over the fence for a ground rule double. Both runners were allowed to score on the play. The next batter, Samsung outfielder Kang Bong-gyu, doubled off the wall in right to score Shin. Hanwha started Yoo Won-sang was chased from the game after only 3 innings pitched. With the early cushion, Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man was allowed to cruise for 5 2/3 innings(95 pitches, 61 strikes). Ahn allowed only 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 K's. While trying to hold a 6-2 lead in the 9th inning, the Samsung bullpen put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Oh Seung-hwan was called upon to record the last two outs. Hanwha 3rd baseman Lee Yeo-sang crushed a 2-2 offering over the fence in centerfield for a 3-run homer. Oh would get the next two outs, but does he really deserve a save for giving up a 3-run bomb?
Lotte 4, SK 3
W - Jang Won-joon (2-4), L - Goh Hyo-joon (2-2), S - Jon Adkins (6)
Jang Won-joon gave Lotte a quality start and the Lotte offense gave him just enough offense to win. Jang threw 8 innings(114 pitches, 68 strikes) of 3-run baseball. He allowed 9 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. All of the damage inflicted by SK came in the early innings. SK 3rd baseman Choi Jeong and catcher Park Kyeong-wan both hit solo homers in the first inning to give SK a 2-0 lead. SK starting pitcher Eom Jeong-wook lasted only 8 pitches. Lotte's Kim Joo-chan hit a leadoff single. Then Lee Seung-hwa hit another single to put runners on the corners with 0 outs. Lee In-gu hit a sac fly to score Kim from 3rd and that was it for Eom. Lotte would score again in the 2nd to tie the game, but Park Kyeong-won hit an RBI single that scored Choi Jeong from 3rd. Park's RBI gave SK a 3-2 lead. Lotte would rally for 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th. 1st baseman Kim Joo-chan would double off the wall in center to score catcher Choi Ki-moon from 3rd and tie the game at 3. Then, Lee Seung-hwa ripped a single to center to score Kim and give Lotte a 4-3 advantage. In the 9th inning, Lotte closer Jon Adkins would surrender a hit, but he struck out 2 while finishing off the Wyverns and recording the save.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
5/6 Roundup and News
You can't beat fun at the 'ol ballpark.
There was some trouble last night in Busan. In protest of an injury to Lotte's Cho Seong-hwan, the gentleman pictured above ran onto the field, tossed a stick towards the SK batter and then played to the crowd before being head locked and removed. Cho was hit in the face during the April 23 game against SK and has been out with a broken cheek ever since.
LG 3, Doosan 1
W - Jeong Chan-heon (4-0), L - Lee Jae-woo (1-1), S - Woo Gyu-min (7)
This game was all about the bullpens. LG's worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Doosan bullpen surrendered 2 runs in relief of starter Geun Min-cheol, but Geun only lasted 4 1/3 innings. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 7th, Park Yeong-taek appeared to score on a wild pitch to give LG a 2-1 lead, but it was ruled that the ball hit Roberto Petagine in the leg. The ball was dead and the run was take off the scoreboard, but it would load the bases with 1 out. LG DH Choi Dong-su hit a sac fly to right to score Park and give LG a 2-1 advantage. LG would tack on an insurance run in the 8th inning thanks to an RBI single from Park Yong-taek. LG closer Woo Gyu-min threw a perfect 9th inning to earn the save.
KIA 6, Seoul Heroes 5
W - Han Ki-joo (1-2), L - Hwang Doo-seong (0-1), S - Yoon Seok-min (2)
The Heroes actually held a 5-2 lead heading into the 8th inning. Cliff Brumbaugh hit a 2-run bomb in the 5th and Lee Taek-geun hit a solo shot in the 7th to give the Heroes the advantage. The Heroes bullpen entered the game in the 8th inning. Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung had provided 7 solid innings(100 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. The Heroes bullpen did many things, but they did not provide any relief. KIA rallied for 4 runs in the 8th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, relief pitcher Hwang Doo-seong balked to score the first run of the inning. Bad start. With runners on the corners and 2 outs, Choi Hee-seop crushed a Hwang fastball over the left field fence to give KIA a 6-5 lead. New KIA closer Yoon Seok-min would toss a 1-2-3 9th inning to nail down the W.
Samsung 8, Hanwha 5
W - Choi Won-je (3-0), L - Yang Hoon (0-3)
Last night was all about Samsung infielder, Shin Myeong-cheol. Shin hit first and played 2nd base for the Lions, but he inflicted damage that was more befitting of a DH hitting cleanup. Shin lead off the game with a solo homer to center. In the 2nd inning, Shin went deep again. This time hitting a two-run blast to left/center. Then he watched a 3-0 lead turn into a 4-3 deficit. Hanwha DH Lee Do-hyeong delivered an RBI single in the 4th. In the 6th inning Hanwha 3rd baseman Lee Yeo-sang hit a solo homer to make the score 3-2. Hanwha catcher Shin Kyeong-hyeon hit an RBI single in the 7th to tie the game at 3. With 2 outs and the bases loaded Lee delivered an RBI single through the left side to untie the game and give Hanwha a 4-3 lead. Samsung would rally in the 8th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, Samsung outfielder Kim Chang-hui hit a sharp grounder to 2nd. The throw from Hanwha 2nd baseman Kim Min-jae bounced away from the catcher and the run scored. The two baserunners advanced. The next batter, Son Joo-in, drew a walk to load the bases. Shin Myeong-cheol stepped to the plate and just missed his 3rd homerun of the game. He hit a deep fly ball to left center that stayed in the park. Shin had to settle for a bases clearing triple. Samsung tacked on an insurance run in the 9th and Hanwha offered up a fake rally in the 9th. All that did was make the final look a little better in the papers.
SK 6, Lotte 3
W - Chae Byeong-yeong (1-1), L - Kang Yeong-sik (0-1), S - Jeong Dae-hyeon (5)
Lotte actually held a 2-0 lead in this one until the 6th inning. SK tied the game at 2 thanks to a 2-run rally off of Lotte starter Lee Sang-hwa. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, SK catcher Park Kyeong-wan singled to right to load the bases. The relay throw to the catcher was wild and the runner on 3rd was allowed to score while the other runners advanced. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, SK 2nd baseman Park Jeong-hwan reached on an infield single to score SK's 2nd run. In the 7th inning, SK busted the game open thanks to a pair of 2-run homers from Park Jeong-kwon and Park Kyeong-wan. Lotte offered a fake rally in the bottom of the 7th, but they would never threaten to tie or take the lead. In the bottom of the 7th, 2nd baseman Lee In-gu hit a bouncer over the head of SK shortstop Na Ju-hwan. SK closer Jeong Dae-hyeon recorded the final 6 outs in order to earn the save.
There was some trouble last night in Busan. In protest of an injury to Lotte's Cho Seong-hwan, the gentleman pictured above ran onto the field, tossed a stick towards the SK batter and then played to the crowd before being head locked and removed. Cho was hit in the face during the April 23 game against SK and has been out with a broken cheek ever since.
LG 3, Doosan 1
W - Jeong Chan-heon (4-0), L - Lee Jae-woo (1-1), S - Woo Gyu-min (7)
This game was all about the bullpens. LG's worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Doosan bullpen surrendered 2 runs in relief of starter Geun Min-cheol, but Geun only lasted 4 1/3 innings. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 7th, Park Yeong-taek appeared to score on a wild pitch to give LG a 2-1 lead, but it was ruled that the ball hit Roberto Petagine in the leg. The ball was dead and the run was take off the scoreboard, but it would load the bases with 1 out. LG DH Choi Dong-su hit a sac fly to right to score Park and give LG a 2-1 advantage. LG would tack on an insurance run in the 8th inning thanks to an RBI single from Park Yong-taek. LG closer Woo Gyu-min threw a perfect 9th inning to earn the save.
KIA 6, Seoul Heroes 5
W - Han Ki-joo (1-2), L - Hwang Doo-seong (0-1), S - Yoon Seok-min (2)
The Heroes actually held a 5-2 lead heading into the 8th inning. Cliff Brumbaugh hit a 2-run bomb in the 5th and Lee Taek-geun hit a solo shot in the 7th to give the Heroes the advantage. The Heroes bullpen entered the game in the 8th inning. Heroes starter Lee Hyeon-seung had provided 7 solid innings(100 pitches, 62 strikes). He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. The Heroes bullpen did many things, but they did not provide any relief. KIA rallied for 4 runs in the 8th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, relief pitcher Hwang Doo-seong balked to score the first run of the inning. Bad start. With runners on the corners and 2 outs, Choi Hee-seop crushed a Hwang fastball over the left field fence to give KIA a 6-5 lead. New KIA closer Yoon Seok-min would toss a 1-2-3 9th inning to nail down the W.
Samsung 8, Hanwha 5
W - Choi Won-je (3-0), L - Yang Hoon (0-3)
Last night was all about Samsung infielder, Shin Myeong-cheol. Shin hit first and played 2nd base for the Lions, but he inflicted damage that was more befitting of a DH hitting cleanup. Shin lead off the game with a solo homer to center. In the 2nd inning, Shin went deep again. This time hitting a two-run blast to left/center. Then he watched a 3-0 lead turn into a 4-3 deficit. Hanwha DH Lee Do-hyeong delivered an RBI single in the 4th. In the 6th inning Hanwha 3rd baseman Lee Yeo-sang hit a solo homer to make the score 3-2. Hanwha catcher Shin Kyeong-hyeon hit an RBI single in the 7th to tie the game at 3. With 2 outs and the bases loaded Lee delivered an RBI single through the left side to untie the game and give Hanwha a 4-3 lead. Samsung would rally in the 8th inning. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, Samsung outfielder Kim Chang-hui hit a sharp grounder to 2nd. The throw from Hanwha 2nd baseman Kim Min-jae bounced away from the catcher and the run scored. The two baserunners advanced. The next batter, Son Joo-in, drew a walk to load the bases. Shin Myeong-cheol stepped to the plate and just missed his 3rd homerun of the game. He hit a deep fly ball to left center that stayed in the park. Shin had to settle for a bases clearing triple. Samsung tacked on an insurance run in the 9th and Hanwha offered up a fake rally in the 9th. All that did was make the final look a little better in the papers.
SK 6, Lotte 3
W - Chae Byeong-yeong (1-1), L - Kang Yeong-sik (0-1), S - Jeong Dae-hyeon (5)
Lotte actually held a 2-0 lead in this one until the 6th inning. SK tied the game at 2 thanks to a 2-run rally off of Lotte starter Lee Sang-hwa. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, SK catcher Park Kyeong-wan singled to right to load the bases. The relay throw to the catcher was wild and the runner on 3rd was allowed to score while the other runners advanced. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, SK 2nd baseman Park Jeong-hwan reached on an infield single to score SK's 2nd run. In the 7th inning, SK busted the game open thanks to a pair of 2-run homers from Park Jeong-kwon and Park Kyeong-wan. Lotte offered a fake rally in the bottom of the 7th, but they would never threaten to tie or take the lead. In the bottom of the 7th, 2nd baseman Lee In-gu hit a bouncer over the head of SK shortstop Na Ju-hwan. SK closer Jeong Dae-hyeon recorded the final 6 outs in order to earn the save.
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