NC to Kim Young-kyu KT to Park Young-hyun ‘Hangzhou Gold’ bullpen battle intriguing
NC’s Kim Young-gyu, who secured a playoff spot with a 7:6 victory over SSG Landers in the third game of the semifinals of the baseball ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason’ at Changwon NC Park in Yangdeok-dong, Masanmyeon-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, on the afternoon of October 25, was named the semifinal MVP after winning three straight games.
The NC Dinos, who swept the Doosan Bears and SSG Landers in fall baseball, and the KT Wiz, who finished the regular season in second place, will begin the best-of-five playoffs on October 30. The series, which is being touted as the first postseason meeting of the youngest clubs, will feature a bullpen battle between the mainstays of the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal team. NC’s Kim Young-gyu and KT’s Park Young-hyun are at the center of it all.
It’s no exaggeration to say that NC made it to the playoffs on the strength of its bullpen. They lost the starting battle to their opponents, with ace Eric Pedroia unavailable, but their ironclad bullpen slammed the back door shut and kept runs to a minimum in the late innings, allowing them to sweep the wild card and semifinals.
Kim Young-gyu deserves a lot of credit. After pitching a one-hit shutout in the wild-card game against Doosan, Young-gyu carried the momentum into the semifinals against SSG.
Kim was the second pitcher in Game 1, the fourth pitcher in Game 2, and the third pitcher in Game 3, all in the sixth inning. He took the mound in close games, but kept his composure and shut down the opposing bats. He pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings in Game 1, 1⅓ innings in Game 2, and 1⅓ innings in Game 3.
With one win, two shutouts, and a zero ERA in the semifinals, Young-gyu helped NC win three straight games and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series after the semifinals.
The fact that a bullpen pitcher, who often gets more attention than starters and hitters, was named MVP speaks volumes about his contributions. Young-gyu was also named to the playoff roster and is ready to go.
KT’s Young-hyun Park smiles as he heads to the dugout after pitching a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh inning during the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ game between the Doosan Bears and KT Wiz at KT Wiz Park in Jangan-gu, Suwon, on Tuesday afternoon.
If NC has Kim Young-gyu, KT has Park Young-hyun.
Park has been one of the best bullpen arms in the KBO this season. A first-round pick who made his professional debut last season, Young-hyun has developed into a top-notch bullpen in his second year under KT manager Lee Kang-chul.
Working as a set-up man in front of the closer, Young-hyun recorded 32 holds in 68 appearances, making him the youngest holder in KBO history. His ERA was a respectable 2.75. At the end of the season, he showed some signs of fatigue, but he didn’t falter and finished the job.
This is his second year as a professional, but he has experience in fall baseball. Last season, he pitched in four games in the semi-playoffs with the Kiwoom Heroes. He has also been strong against NC this season with a 0.79 ERA in 10 games.
Kim Young-gyu and Park Young-hyun were teammates on the Korean baseball team at the Hangzhou Asian Games. They both pitched out of the bullpen for their respective teams and helped them win gold, especially Young-hyun, who proved his worth as a closer in place of South Korea’s best closer, Ko Woo-seok (LG Twins).
The two pitchers who shared the Asian Games title will now face each other in fall baseball. They will have to overcome each other to advance to the Korean Series. It will be interesting to see how the bullpen battle between Kim Young-kyu and Park Young-hyun will play out. 카지노사이트존
