"He pitched aggressively."
Hong Won-ki, the manager of the Kiwoom Heroes, defended the humiliation of second-year right-handed pitcher Kim Yun-ha. Although he set a tie record for the most home runs allowed in a single game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and suffered large runs, there were clearly positive elements as well.
Kim Yun-ha made his first start of the season against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on the 25th, but he struggled. He gave up 9 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings, recording 3 strikeouts and allowing 8 runs (7 earned). Among the 9 hits, 5 were home runs. The team lost 6-11 and suffered the loss.
The batting lineup scored 3 runs in the top of the first inning to cheer him on, but they couldn’t hold the lead. Two home runs—including a two-run shot and a solo shot—were given up to Na Sung-bum, and after a tying solo shot by Choi Won-jun, a back-to-back home run to Choi Hyung-woo was also allowed. Kim Yun-ha also allowed a two-run home run to Patrick Wisdom, who had been silent with no hits. A total of 7 runs were given up on home runs.
It marked a tie record for the most home runs allowed in a single game in KBO history. This was the 10th time overall. Most recently, on August 21, 2021, SSG's Lee Tae-yang allowed 5 home runs to the LG Twins. Still, he managed to stay on the mound through the 5th inning and finish the innings.
Before the mid-week second game against KIA on the 26th, Manager Hong Won-ki noted, "Although we gave up a lot of home runs, there were positive factors as well. It is crucial to aggressively get strikes, which I have been asking for since last year. We pitched aggressively without any walks. However, the balls were centered, and I regret the choice of pitches at critical moments."
He added, "Ultimately, we must throw strikes aggressively and accurately to survive as a starter. This is only his second year. His velocity and game management are improving. It's just the first game. There may be times when the season isn't good overall. The 1st and 2nd starters also pitched well but faced large runs. Let's think of this as a preventive measure."
Since making his debut as a rookie in late June last year, Kim Yun-ha has been receiving starting lessons in 12 games. Despite some games with large runs allowed, he also performed well with 7 innings of no runs, allowing for a soft landing, and this year he was entrusted with a role among the top 3 starters. It seems that Manager Hong's defense of Kim is based on the belief that painful experiences will become energy for growth.
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