“Last start, I don’t even remember (laughs)”
Finally, I got my first win of the season. It was also a start. It’s been a whopping 720 days since his last game against Sajik Lotte on September 12, 2021. This is Kim Sun-ki, 32, a right-handed pitcher for Kiwoom. After bouncing back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen, he joined the starting lineup last month and earned a valuable win. He’s now an integral part of Kiwoom’s starting rotation, and he’s certainly earned his manager’s respect.
Kim started the second day of a three-game weekend series against KT in the 2023 KBO League at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, and pitched six shutout innings to lead the team to a 3-0 victory. With the win, Kiwoom leapfrogged Hanwha for ninth place in the standings.
On the day, Kim threw six innings of scoreless relief with three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He mixed a fastball that topped out at 146 kilometers per hour with a slider, slurve, and curveball to keep the KT bats in check. The right-hander, who joined the starting lineup last month, lost his first two starts, but he quickly caught the eye of manager Hong Won-ki with his aggressive pitching. He won his third start to complete the team’s “three-game winning streak.
Kim said, “I don’t even remember my last start. I just pitched hard and aggressively, and I think that’s why it turned out so well.” “My goal was to throw a long inning today. It’s even better that I was able to go six innings and get the win.”
He wore the Kiwoom uniform after being selected in the second round of the 2018 KBO First-Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners in the United States. He was a highly touted prospect, but didn’t make much of an impact. It may be late, but he has now established himself as one of the mainstays of the Kiwoom starting lineup. What’s more, the team’s ‘ace’ Ahn Woo-jin’s season was cut short due to injury, deepening the coach’s confidence in him.
“Our starters are Ariel Furado, Ian McKinney, and Kim Sun-ki,” said Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki. We’re also considering a bullpen day for Ahn Woo-jin’s spot, but we’ll have to think about the other two spots a bit more.”
You’ve definitely been selected as a starter. The responsibility and pressure are bound to increase. Kim said, “I don’t feel too much pressure. I’m just trying to enjoy the game on the mound, fighting one batter at a time. I’m just trying to throw harder,” he said. “The coach also told me to be aggressive and use the pitches I can throw well. I think I was aggressive today and it paid off,” he said encouragingly.메이저놀이터
There are about 20 games left until the end of the season. That means Kim has four or five starts left. Having gotten a taste of his first victory, he’ll be ready for the rest.
“I’ve been running hard and training my lower body harder to build up my endurance and stamina in preparation for the start,” he said. “The fans are having a hard time right now, and the team as a whole is having a hard time right now, so I’m going to throw as long as I can on the mound to give us a chance to win,” he vowed. “I hope to stay in the starting rotation and pitch well until the end of the season,” he added.