Monday, May 10, 2010

5/9 Roundup and News

Samsung 3, SK 2
W - Brandon Knight (3-2), L - Ken Kadokura (7-1), S - Jeong Hyeon-wook (4)
Samsung HR - None SK HR - None

Wow, my Lions handed Kadokura his first loss? SK has dropped 4 of their last 5? Brandon Knight looked like the 2009 ringer that helped Samsung to the playoffs? It all added up to a very enjoyable Sunday for Lions fans. Kadokura threw the ball about as well as he had in his previous efforts, but he didn't get the same kind of run support. Kadokura tossed 6 innings(82 pitches, 48 strikes) and allowed 3 runs. He gave up 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 1. Brandon Knight did a good job changing speeds and kept the Wyverns off balance for most of the game. Knight threw 6 2/3 innings(101 pitches, 58 strikes) of 1-run baseball. Knight allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 hit batsman while striking out 5. Samsung was never able to break through with a big inning, but they manage to piece together enough offense to earn the W. Samsung center fielder Lee Yeong-wook went 3-3 with a run scored. Samsung reliever Ahn Ji-man continued to look solid in relief. He threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with 1 K.

Doosan 11, Lotte 1
W - Lim Tae-hoon (2-1), L - Jang Won-joon (3-3)
Doosan HR - Lee Seong-yeol (6), Kim Hyeon-su (4) Lotte HR - None

I guess Doosan is a little short-handed in their starting rotation. The Bears started 2nd year punching bag Hong Sang-sam on Saturday and pressed reliever Lim Tae-hoon into service on Sunday. Lim actually threw really well for a guy that hasn't made a start this year. Lim tossed 5 innings(73 pitches, 48 strikes) of 1-run ball. Lim gave up 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Doosan jumped all over Lotte starter Jang Won-joon and didn't let up when Lotte turned to their bullpen. Doosan right fielder Lee Seong-yeol and left fielder Kim Hyeon-su both had big afternoons. Lee finished 3-4 with a walk, a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Kim went 2-5 with a homer, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored. Nothing good or interesting happened for the Lotte Giants.

LG 4, KIA 3
W - Shinya Okamoto (2-1), L - Kwak Jeong-cheol (1-3)
LG HR - None KIA HR - Park Ki-nam (1)

Roman Colon made his 2010 KBO debut and I'm not sure what to make of him. He wasn't stretched out enough to make a full start and only went once through the Twins lineup. He probably won't be sent home tomorrow, but I'm not sure if he'll be as good as his limited numbers suggested. Colon tossed 3 innings(52 pitches, 33 strikes) and gave up 1 run on two hits with a balk. He didn't walk anyone and he struck out 2. LG ace Bong Jung-geun rumbled to the bump and turned in another mediocre effort. Dr. Bong threw 6 1/3 innings(107 pitches, 67 strikes) of 3-run ball. Bong gave up 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batsman while striking out 4. This wound up being a real heart breaker for KIA fans. KIA held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th. LG put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Outfielder Lee Jin-yeong singled to right to drive in a run and make the score 3-2. Pinch hitter Son In-ho sacrificed himself to put the go ahead run in scoring position. The next batter, catcher Cho In-seong singled through the right side to score the tying and go-ahead runs. Cho was greeted by his teammates with a savage beating.

Nexen 4, Hanhwa 2
W - Geum Min-cheol (4-4), L - Yoo Won-sang (2-3), S - Son Seung-rak (5)
Nexen HR - Song Ji-man (5) Hanhwa HR - Jeong Hyeon-seok (2)

I'm not going to say that Nexen starter Geum Min-cheol is turning into an ace, but he is developing. I'm not sure if he'd be the same pitcher he is now if he wasn't traded to the Heroes. He wasn't going to get the opportunity he needed to develop with the Bears. Nexen has given him a chance to make mistakes and learn from them. It looks like they're better off for it. Geum threw 5 2/3 innings(99 pitches, 62 strikes) of 2-run baseball. Geum allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8. Nexen took a 4-2 lead in the 5th inning thanks to a 3-run rally. With the bases loaded and no outs, Nexen center fielder Jeong Ki-yeong hit an off the wall single to center field. The runners held because it wasn't clear if the Hanhwa center fielder could track the ball down or not. Either way, one run scored and it kept the bases loaded for the next batter, third baseman Kim Min-woo, to hit a 2-run double and give Nexen the lead. Nexen DH Song Ji-man went 3-4 with solo homer. Nexen closer Son Seung-rak recorded a scoreless 9th for the save.

No comments: