“It wasn’t like that when (Kim) Kwang-hyun was younger.”
SSG ace Kim Kwang-hyun pitched six innings of four-hit ball with two walks and five strikeouts against KT at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Sept. 12, but the offense was held in check by KT’s Wes Benjamin and suffered its seventh loss of the season. It was the 12th quality start of the season in two games since August 31 against Incheon Kiwoom.
On the 13th, SSG manager Kim Won-hyung said, “Last week, all of our starters except Elias couldn’t complete five innings, so we definitely needed a rebound this week. In that sense, Kim Kwang-hyun’s performance yesterday was a good start to the week. Today’s game was canceled, but we still have four more games to play, including a doubleheader on Sunday. Hopefully, the other pitchers will show good form as well,” he said, pleased with his ace’s rebound.
In addition to his strong pitching performance, Kim drew applause from the home fans with his Gold Glove-worthy defense. Trailing 0-1 in the top of the sixth inning, there were runners on second and third. He induced a hard grounder to Bae Byeong-dae, who caught it with his glove and made a dynamic running throw to get the final out. Choi attempted a head-first slide to first base, but Kim Kwang-hyun’s throw reached first base first.
Coach Kim said, “It’s Kim Kwang-hyun’s defense. It was not an easy defense. His overall movement and athleticism are so good. His agility is also good and his body is fast.”메이저놀이터
However, Kim’s defense wasn’t always good. “As I remember, when he was younger, he didn’t know how to throw short,” said Kim, who has watched Kwang-hyun since he was a rookie. “It wasn’t that he had a mouth, but he couldn’t shorten his snap throw like an infielder.” “Through repeated practice, he now throws short well. My defense has improved and I can be aggressive on the bunt. His ability is good, so that’s why such a novelty defense came out yesterday,” he applauded.
Meanwhile, SSG’s 12th game of the season against Doosan was canceled due to rain. Kim announced that Roenis Elias will start against Doosan on the 13th without changing the starting pitcher.