Kim Yoo-sung, who is competing for the fifth starting position with the Doosan Bears in professional baseball, achieved partial success in his second actual game.
On the 26th, Kim Yoo-sung started in the first match of the spring tournament against the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball at Miyazaki Sun Marine Stadium, recording 2 innings, no hits, 3 strikeouts, 5 walks, and 1 earned run.
The bottom of the first inning was overwhelming. Starting with leadoff Montel at a 0-0 tie, he faced Kodami and Hananuma, showcasing a KKK strikeout show. He struck out leadoff hitter Montel looking with an inside slider, then induced Kodami and Hananuma to swing and miss with sharp breaking balls.
The bottom of the second inning started by allowing leadoff hitter Sato to walk after a full count. He got the next hitter Yamamura out with a double play to erase the runner, but allowed Koga to walk again. With 2 outs and 1 man on base, he ended the inning by getting Nakata to pop out to right field.
Kim Yoo-sung allowed his first earned run in the bottom of the third inning at a 0-0 tie. This time, control issues were problematic. After allowing a walk to leadoff hitter Watanabe after a full count, he faced a situation with 1 out and a runner on second due to a sacrifice bunt. After allowing Montel to walk, the runner on second tried to steal third, but the catcher Yang Eui-chan's inaccurate throw allowed the runner to survive, and the runner on first took the opportunity to reach second base. Kim Yoo-sung also allowed Kodami, who was at bat, to walk at the end of a full count, putting him in a bases-loaded crisis.
Kim Yoo-sung induced a ground ball to second base against Hananuma, but in the meantime, the runner on third, Watanabe, crossed home plate. It was his first earned run. Kim Yoo-sung managed to end the inning by getting the next hitter, Sato, out with a ground ball to shortstop Lee Yoo-chan’s excellent defense.
Kim Yoo-sung finished his second actual match after being replaced by his fifth starting competitor Choi Jun-ho in the bottom of the fourth inning with a score of 1-0.
Kim Yoo-sung threw a total of 64 pitches over 3 innings, a considerable number. He threw various breaking balls, including a fastball with a top speed of 151 km/h (26 pitches), sliders (19 pitches), sweepers (10 pitches), splitters (5 pitches), and curves (4 pitches). He showcased a strikeout show in the first inning, but struggled with control from the second inning onwards, achieving partial success.
Kim Yoo-sung, who realized his dream of turning professional as the 19th pick in the second round by Doosan in the 2023 rookie draft, is in his third year in the pros and has thrown his hat into the ring for the fifth starting position. He was recognized for his potential since last year's education league and is competing positively with Choi Jun-ho, Kim Min-kyu, and Choi Won-jun. In the first actual game against Sega Sammy on the 21st, he recorded 2 innings with no earned runs.
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