Victory almost disappeared… 4-point lead, worst throw + poor restraint, what to do with the finish?
The KIA Tigers almost lost their victory. Finishing pitcher Jung Hae-young (22) failed to take responsibility for the ninth inning, leaving behind the worst pitch of the season.
KIA won 7-6 in an away game against Samsung Lions in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 17th.
It was a happy day to achieve two consecutive victories and secure a winning series, but it was a pitiful victory. KIA had a nightmare in the last defensive inning.
KIA, which led 7-3, appointed Jeong Hae-young, a finishing pitcher, in the bottom of the 9th inning. Jung Hae-young caught a right-handed hit by lead batter Oh Jae-il and caught An Joo-hyung with a grounder from second baseman. However, he allowed a walk after a full count match with Kim Ji-chan.
Jung Hae-young, who was driven to 1st and 2nd base, succeeded in inducing a ground ball against Lee Jae-hyun, but shortstop Park Chan-ho made a catch error and took the run. The ensuing crisis with 1 company, 2nd and 3rd base. Jung Hae-young was hit by Jose Pirella with two RBIs and a right-handed hit. It was a dizzying moment when the gap was reduced to 1 point.
In the end, KIA lowered Jung Hae-young and put in Choi Ji-min. Choi Ji-min tied Koo Ja-wook and Kang Min-ho with a ground ball in succession and took a period.
On this day, Jung Hae-young had the worst pitching of the season, going through ⅓ innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 runs (2 earned). He had points where he did not receive defensive help, but he had a bad process of giving up walks and timely hits.
Again, the issue of redemption came to the surface. Jeong Hae-young, who showed a noticeable decrease in restraint in April, showed signs of recovery in the series against SSG Landers last week. In an interview on the 16th, KIA coach Kim Jong-guk said, “It seems that restraints have been raised since last week’s Gwangju game.”
However, in this match against Samsung, the redemption fell again. There was not a single fastball that exceeded 140 km/h. This match was not even a fight. Jung Hae-young climbed the mound after two days of rest.
Jung Hae-young’s overall flow this season is unstable. His save numbers this year are just three, with two blown saves. He has an earned run average of 3.77, a batting average of 0.298, and a WHIP (on-base percentage per inning) of 1.60.스포츠토토
The 4-point difference seemed like a generous lead when I recall Jung Hae-young’s performance in the past. However, he could not close the ninth on his own in this appearance.