This is what NC Dinos manager Kang In-kwon made before the match against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on Wednesday. "The player in the middle, Jeon Sang-hyun, and Kwak Do-gyu in particular play their part sufficiently," he said. Even Kang said, "We are cold-headed and the bullpen is somewhat weaker than that of KIA."
KIA's batting, starting, bullpen, and backup are almost perfect this year. All of them are the strongest in the league. It ranks first in the league with 30 errors, but the rest of the part more than offset the damage caused by the errors. As manager Kang In-kwon said, KIA's bullpen ERA is No. 1 in the league with 2.85 percent based on the baseball statistics site Statiz.
The second-ranked SSG Landers posted 4.20 points. The KIA bullpen is the overwhelming No. 1. Since NC ranks fourth with a 4.46, manager Kang In-kwon is right. KIA ranks first in overall relief pitchers' war with 2.97, beating Samsung with 2.65. As even the bullpen has good depth, no pitcher has pitched three consecutive games this season.
Jeon Sang-hyun and Choi Ji-min are the main setup men who are responsible for the seventh and eighth innings, centering on the closing pitcher Jung Hae-young. The pitchers who support them are Kwak Do-gyu and Jang Hyun-sik. They usually play in the sixth and seventh innings. When Jeon Sang-hyun and Choi Ji-min have two consecutive pitches and need a must-win group, Kwak Do-gyu and Jang Hyun-sik are responsible for the seventh and eighth innings. On top of that, Lee Joon-young plays the role of seasoning as a left-handed specialist.
As manager Kang In-kwon said, Jeon and Kwak do-gyu are good. Jeon allowed two hits (one homer) and one strikeout, and one run during the ⅔ innings against NC Dinosaurs on Tuesday. Oh Young-soo hit a solo shot like a lightning bolt. Still, he had two wins, one loss, six holds and an ERA of 3.09 in 13 games.
Left-hander Kwak Do-gyu in the third quarter of the season posted an ERA of 0.93 with four holds in 13 games. He boasts unique arm height, but he maximizes power while balancing pitches. He has strong pitching depth and sliders. He sticks in sliders against right-handed hitters. Batters are quite taken aback by Kwak's unfamiliar pitching trajectory.
Coincidentally, the first game of the three consecutive weekend games between the two teams was mixed with joy and sorrow in a bullpen match. For KIA, Jeon Sang-hyun (one run allowed in 0.2 innings) was hit with a home run, but Lee Joon-young (one run in 1 ⅓ inning), Jang Hyun-sik (one run in 1 inning), Choi Ji-min (one run in 1 inning) and Jeong Hae-young (one run in 1 inning) ended the game. Of course, NC also had Han Jae-seung (one scoreless in 1 ⅓), Kim Young-kyu (one run in 1 inning) and Lee Yong-chan (one run in 1 ⅔ inning) struggling.
This is not the end of the KIA bullpen. Along with Kwak Do-gyu and Jang Hyun-sik, there is one more pitcher to assist the main setup men. It is Lim Ki-young, a submarine that left for a while due to a side injury. He was the bullpen ace last year, but his business was closed after he played in two games (one ⅓ scoreless) this season. He took the mound at a game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on March 29.
However, he warmed up by allowing no run in one inning at a game against Changwon NC in the Futures League on Wednesday. If he goes to the game on Monday and inspects it one more time, he will be in the main league. He will play his comeback game against Kiwoom in three consecutive away games next week. Still, his strong KIA bullpen will become stronger.
BY: 스포츠토토