151km Of Foreign Ace And Hot Match
It was definitely a difficult game. Baseball can only win if it scores anyway, but NC struggled without getting a single point until the seventh inning. That did not mean that the hope of victory was dashed. This is because NC also did not allow a single point to the opponent.
The NC Dinos won 4-3 in the first round of the semi-playoff against SSG Landers in the '2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason' at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 22nd.
Kim Sung-wook can be cited as the hero of victory. Kim Sung-wook hit the final two-run shot as a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth inning. It was a shot that broke the 0-0 tight balance. 스포츠토토
However, we should not forget starting pitcher Shin Min-hyuk's good pitching. In his postseason debut, Shin Min-hyuk pitched well with four hits, one walk and three strikeouts in five ⅔ innings. It was a good pitch that no one expected. Shin Min-hyuk, who left 5 wins, 5 losses and a 3.98 ERA in this year's regular season, was a player who struggled with a 6.57 ERA against SSG. However, the NC bench gave Shin Min-hyuk the heavy duty of starting the first game based on his recent condition rather than data.
Above all, Shin Min-hyuk's good pitching was even more brilliant because NC batters struggled to the extent that they did not get a single run until the seventh inning against SSG starter Roenis Elias. NC hitters were not able to beat Elias' fast ball, which was shot up to 151 kilometers, along with fast tempo pitches. If Shin Min-hyuk had allowed even one point, the game's Chu might have completely leaned toward SSG. Shin Min-hyuk did not allow a single point to the SSG lineup while utilizing changeups and cutters along with fastballs with a maximum speed of 144 kilometers.
Shin Min-hyuk, who blocked two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, shifted his duties with left-hander Kim Young-kyu when left-handed big hitter Han Yu-seom came out. Kim Young-kyu also put a stepping stone to victory by blocking one ⅓ scoreless inning.
“I was nervous when I came out to the ballpark in the morning. However, it was not too tense, Shin Min-hyuk said, “The fact that he threw at a fast tempo while raising the strike rate led to a good result.”
In fact, Shin Min-hyuk showed better pitching through the “correction” at the end of the regular season. Perhaps this foretold his performance in the postseason. Shin Min-hyuk pitched five scoreless innings against Gwangju KIA on the 17th. In response, Shin Min-hyuk said, “I modified the dim foot and threw it only looking at the catcher's mitt to prevent the shoulder from opening, but my control improved.”
NC was already unable to erase anxiety as “20-win ace” Eric Peddy's appearance was gradually delayed, but Shin Min-hyuk's surprise pitching was able to relieve his sigh. It was a valuable pitching that not only saved the team, but also could shake the entire series.