I was actually to busy for sports this past weekend. I barely saw any KBO action. I avoided my beloved(awful) White Sox as much as possible. Both the Bulls(expected) and Blackhawks(surprise) lost their playoff openers. Also, I was busy doing something to help my professional development all weekend.
I don't have the time or the energy to give each game a write up, but I'll give each series a paragraph.
Also, for the first time in almost 4 years, the KBO has updated its homepage. Look at it in all its blue glory!
On to the roundup of sorts...
Doosan vs. Lotte
4/16 - Doosan 6, Lotte 4
4/17 - Doosan 4, Lotte 3
4/18 - Lotte 9, Doosan 5
What I learned from this series is that when Doosan can play its game, the Bears are hard to beat. The Bears only need 5 or 6 innings from a starting pitcher. After that, they turn things over to their lights out bullpen and its game over. They know they can score runs with their patient "Get-Guys-On-Base-And-THEN-Make-'Em-Pay" approach. If they have a lead after 6, the game might as well be over. The only time they run into problems is if their starter gets bombed(Sunday) or they run into a superior pitching staff(SK in the playoffs). During the season, they're the one KBO team I would never want to see. Les Walrond and Kim Sun-woo gave the Bears exactly enough innings on Friday and Saturday. Their offense gave them exactly enough support and closer Lee Yong-chan nailed down the victories on both days. On Sunday Kelvin Jiminez didn't miss many bats and was battered for 8 runs on 12 hits and 2 walks. Lotte DH Hong Seong-heun and third baseman Lee Dae-ho both took Jimenez deep on Sunday. Hong was 2-5 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored, while Lee was 2-4 with 3 RBIs and 1 run scored. Doosan enjoyed a solid team effort at the plate all weekend. Shortstop Son Si-hyeon drove in runs on all three days.
SK vs. Samsung
4/16 - SK 7, Samsung 2
4/17 - SK 4, Samsung 3
4/18 - SK 12, Samsung 1
Okay. I think we have it confimed now. This Lions team is mediocre. They looked really good beating up on teams like Hanhwa, LG and Nexen. I was worried to see them face one of the elite KBO teams and this is why. They'd be exposed. Bae Yeong-su looked like the 2005 Bae against the crappy teams, but he looked very much like the 2009 Bae against SK. I think we should make him our designated crappy team pitcher. If we're facing Doosan, SK or even KIA, Bae isn't allowed to drive to the stadium. When we face Hanhwa or Nexen, Bae gets a start. I think this would work. This weekend was all about that awesome SK pitching. On Friday, Song Eun-beom threw 7 shutout innings(123 pitches, 72 strikes). Song gave up only 6 hits, 3 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 3. On Saturday, Eom Jeong-wook tossed 4 2/3 innings of relief after Goh Hyo-joon was pulled in the middle of the 3rd inning. Eom gave up 1 run on 3 hits and 2walks while striking out 4. SK ace Kim Kwang-hyeon made his 2nd start of the season against Samsung on Sunday and he looked like he was in mid-season form. Kim tossed 7 innings(99 pitches, 61 strikes) of shutout baseball. He gave up 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. His sideburns were also absolutely bitchin'.
Hanhwa vs. Nexen
4/16 - Hanhwa 5, Nexen 4
4/17 - Hanhwa 6, Nexen 0
4/18 - Nexen 15, Hanhwa 0
If you're going to be inconsistent, you might as well be wildly inconsistent. How do you follow up losing two games to the worst team in the KBO, including one by shutout? By scoring 15 runs and shutting them out, of course! Hanhwa starter Yoo Won-sang tossed 7 shutout innings on Saturday. He gave up 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7. Kim Tae-wan(AKA "The Hanhwa Offense") did most of the damage. Kim went 2-3 with a walk, a double, a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Then on Sunday, my KBO mancrush, Geum Min-cheol, tossed a complete game, 2-hit shoutout against the Eagles. Geum walked two and struck out 8. Every Nexen Hero that played on Sunday either scored or drove in a run. Third baseman Kim Min-woo went 3-5 with a homer, a walk, 4 RBIs, 2 runs scored and a stolen base. A stolen base? Really, Min-woo? 15-0 isn't enough? We have to steal bases too? The Korean baseball gods won't like this. Those who pad stats are usually quickly struck down.
KIA vs. LG
4/16 - LG 8, KIA 4
4/17 - LG 13, KIA 4
4/18 - PPD
I'm surprised the Sunday game was the only game that was canceled last weekend. The weather was kind of gross throughout the peninsula. The Twins have won 4 in a row since ace Bong Jung-geun was allowed to return from his banishment to the Futures League. LG shortstop Oh Ji-hwan was a one-man wrecking crew. The LG #8 hitter went 8-5 with 2 doubles, a homer, a stolen base, 5 RBIs and 4 runs scored in two games. New non-Korean pitcher Matt Wright made his KBO debut on Friday and was, erm, effectively wild. Wright tossed 5 innings(109 pitches, 58 strikes) of 2-run baseball. He gave up 1 hit and 5 walks while striking out 7. The KIA bullpen was a nightmare on both Friday and Saturday. KIA relievers gave up 14 runs(only 9 earned) between the games. Yuck.
I'll be back on Tuesday with regularly scheduled programming.
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