"Fans supported the Korean Series."
He was truly an ace. James Nail, a foreign pitcher for the Kia Tigers, displayed his strength as a top starter from the opening game and led the team to victory.
On the 22nd, Nail started in the opening game against the NC Dinos at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field and threw a stellar game without allowing any runs. He achieved a record of 5 innings, 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts, a perfect performance. Although he did not become the winning pitcher, he laid the groundwork for a comeback victory of 9-2.
He had a perfect performance against 11 batters until there were 2 outs in the 4th inning. He allowed a single to Son Ah-seop, but claimed Davidson with a strikeout. In the 5th inning, after one out, he faced his first crisis with a walk and a two-out single from Kim Hyung-jun, but induced a ground ball out from Kim Hwi-jip to end the game.
Although he threw just 66 pitches, considering it was his first start of the season, he finished the game. His signature pitch, the sweeper, shone brightly, and he also used a two-seamer, changeup, and curveball. His maximum speed reached 151 km/h. He was the ace who led the team to victory in last year's Korean Series.
After the game, Nail explained his success, saying, "It was a good game. The team's offense was strong, and above all, I think it was a better game because we could win from the opening game. Today, I particularly threw aggressively with many strikes. I trusted Kim Tae-gun's pitch selection and want to express my gratitude to him."
He continued, "The opening game is a big match, but I tried to think of it as just another game. The fans cheered for us as if it were the Korean Series, so I was a bit nervous, but I tried to focus as much as possible on the game," expressing his gratitude to the fans.
Finally, he promised, "Since it was my first start, I only threw about 5 innings, and the relievers behind me are good, so I didn't worry too much. I will prepare well for the next game so that the team can win."
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