SSG suffered a 3-7 loss at home to the NC Dinos in the second round of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason Semi-Finals at SSG Landers Field in Incheon at 6:30 p.m. on April 23.
SSG used Kim Kwang-hyun as their starting pitcher for the game, but he gave up four runs in three innings. The ‘ace’ was hampered by a finger injury and had to be taken off the mound.
SSG then turned to Han Yoo-seom in the chase. After a two-run homer in the fourth inning, Han Yoo-seom hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to lift the mood in Landers Field.
However, SSG was unable to close the gap, giving up two more runs in the eighth inning after a solo shot by NC’s catcher Kim Hyung-jun, and suffered back-to-back humiliating losses at home.
After the game, manager Kim Won-hyung said, “The early runs were painful. Our inability to overcome the score difference was a factor in today’s loss.”
Kim Kwang-hyun, who started the game, gave up four runs in the second inning. He was pulled after three innings due to a finger injury. In response to the disappointing performance of his ‘reliable man’ and ‘ace,’ coach Kim Won-hyung said, “There was no talk of an injury before the game. I’ve had some small finger problems in the middle of the season. Today, after three innings, I told him it was bad, and Moon Seung-won was waiting in the bullpen, so it wasn’t necessarily a finger injury.”
Before the game, Kim Won-hyung named Moon Seung-won as the starter for Game 4, and after Kim Kwang-hyun, Moon took the mound and gave up three runs on three hits (one home run) and three earned runs in 4.2 innings. “The early runs loomed large, and I didn’t have time to think about it until the fourth game,” said Kim Won-hyung, explaining why he chose Moon Seung-won. “He was in good shape from practice today, and the ball itself was good, so I was able to trust him until the end,” he said.
Overall, the defense left something to be desired in this game. “In the first inning and in the middle of the game, it was definitely something that was disappointing,” said Kim Won-hyung. However, I don’t think it’s a big problem because we made mistakes while trying to play aggressive and aggressive defense,” he said.
Kim Won-hyung didn’t utilize the substitute card much. He used Kim Kang-min in the ninth inning. “It’s not a passive operation 안전놀이터 by any means,” he emphasized, adding, “I thought the starting players were the best today.”
SSG and coach Kim Won-hyung have nowhere to go but up. They’ve already dropped two games in the best-of-five series. They also suffered back-to-back losses at home, hurting their pride as the defending champions. They must win the third game at Changwon NC Park on the 25th.