SSG Landers’ left-handed veteran Kim Kwang-hyun pitched well, but was unable to secure another win due to bullpen struggles.
Kim started the 2024 KBO League’s home game against the Samsung Lions at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
With his team leading 3-2, Kim came off the mound with the win requirement, but the SSG bullpen gave up four runs in the eighth inning to give the game away.
Kim Kwang-hyun hasn’t won a game in over a month, going winless in six games since his six-inning, two-run victory over Kiwoom on March 10.
Kim, who is currently tied for third on the all-time wins list with Jung Min-cheol with 161 career wins, has another chance to move into sole possession of third place.
Kim, who has allowed at least three runs in every game since his start in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the LG Twins on March 21, when he allowed five runs on seven hits (one homer) and seven walks with seven strikeouts in six innings, was uncharacteristically dominant against Samsung.
Kim got things started with back-to-back strikeouts of Kim Ji-chan and Koo Ja-rook in the first inning, but after giving up a walk to David McKinnon two batters later, Kim got the No. 4 hitter, Kim Young-woong, to fly out to center field on two pitches to end the inning.
After giving up a walk to Ryu Ji-hyeok with two outs in the top of the second, Kim struck out Oh Jae-il to end the inning.
In the third, he allowed runners to reach second and third with one out, but got McKinnon to fly out to right field on the first pitch to end 스포츠토토 the inning.
After pitching a scoreless inning, Kim Kwang-hyun gave up his first run in the fourth inning. After giving up a leadoff walk to Kim Young-woong, he allowed a stolen base, then gave up back-to-back singles to Lee Jae-hyun and Ryu Ji-hyuk.
With runners on first and second, Kim Kwang-hyun struck out Oh Jae-il and then got Kim Heon-gon to ground out to third base to end the inning.
In the fifth, he gave up an infield single to leadoff hitter Lee Byung-heon, but retired the next three batters to end the inning.
In the sixth inning, Kim Kwang-hyun gave up a solo home run to leadoff hitter Kim Young-woong, but left the mound with the bases loaded. Noh Kyung-kyung got out of the inning, leaving Kim Kwang-hyun with the win.
However, SSG tied the game in the eighth inning when Cho Byung-hyun gave up a two-run double to Ryu Ji-hyeok to make it 3-2 before Lee Sung-kyu hit a two-run home run to give Kwang-hyun the win.
With his fourth win of the season falling short, Kim had to settle for lowering his ERA to 4.92 from 5.13.