Seoul: Rookie starter Kim Min-jun tossed six shutout innings and big bats came through with clutch hits, as the SSG Landers defeated the Doosan Bears 4-2 to snap their nine-game losing streak in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Making his fifth career start, Kim matched his personal best with six strikeouts and held the Bears to just four hits at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Landers cleanup Guillermo Heredia broke the scoreless deadlock with a two-run double off Bears starter Wes Benjamin in the top of the sixth inning. It was the Landers' third straight hit against Benjamin, who had given up just three hits in the first five innings and struck out seven batters. Then, facing reliever Lee Yong-chan in the top eighth, No. 3 hitter Choi Jeong doubled the Landers' lead with a two-run home run to right field. It was Choi's 19th home run of the season, putting him on the verge of becoming the first KBO player to hit at least 20 home runs in 11 consecutive seasons.
The Bears made things a little interesting in the bottom eighth. Jung Soo-bin led off that frame with a solo home run off reliever Moon Seung-won, who was chased from the game after allowing a walk and a double. New pitcher Kim Min gave up a sacrifice fly to Yang Eui-ji that cut the lead to 4-2. Kim walked the next batter to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but struck out Park Chan-ho to snuff out the rally. Closer Jo Byeong-hyeon then worked a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save of the season.
Kim Min-jun, 20, said he was happy to help the Landers end their long losing skid but added the team's recent plight did not put any extra pressure on him. "I wanted to go as long as I can. I just focused on making my pitches and pounding the strike zone," Kim said. "I tried to give everything I had, with the mindset that this would be my last start of the season. I wanted to dominate the other team."
The fifth overall pick at last year's KBO draft, Kim only made his KBO debut on June 9, more than two months after the start of the season. He gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings against the LG Twins then, but has limited opponents to six runs in 20 innings since. "I was always slow out of the gate in high school and got better as the season wore on," he said. "I am not as nervous as I was earlier in the year and I think that has helped me put up better performances."