Seoul: It had been more than four years since NC Dinos pitcher Kim Young-kyu had thrown at least three innings in relief, but with his team’s postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the left-hander was ready to give his team all he had.
According to Yonhap News Agency, with his team trailing 1-0 against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Kim took over from starter Kim Tae-gyeong to begin the top of the second inning. The Dinos, hanging on to the fifth and the final Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason berth, had to win this game to stay ahead of the KT Wiz, and they were now asking the bullpen to get the final 24 outs.
Kim Young-kyu responded by tossing three shutout innings, holding the Twins to just one hit to help his team to a 7-3 victory. Kim was credited with the win. “Of course, I felt some pressure, but we have been on a roll and this was a huge game for us,” Kim said after the Dinos stretched their winning streak to eight. “I tried to stay focused.”
Kim had pitched to a 1.93 ERA over his past 10 outings before putting more zeroes on the board Wednesday. He said he hasn’t done anything special and added, “I think I’ve been getting lucky at times.”
His three innings pitched and 53 pitches thrown were both new season highs for Kim, who began his career in 2019 as a starter but has been a full-time reliever since 2022. “I knew I had to eat up multiple innings, but I was just trying to take it one inning at a time,” he said. “It’s easy to get locked into games like this. I am trying to enjoy these outings and not feel too nervous.”
The Dinos and the Wiz both have one game left, with the Dinos ahead in winning percentage, .5109 to .5108. The Dinos can win this race by winning their season finale on Friday against the SSG Landers at home in Changwon, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Asked if he can take the mound again in two days after such a long outing, Kim said, “If my body allows it, I absolutely have to pitch in that game.” “I am sure it’s fun for our fans to see us battle all the way to the end,” Kim added. “I hope we will get the last laugh.”
With Kim stifling the Twins, the Dinos’ offense woke up to build a 4-1 lead by the time Kim’s night was done. Then right-hander Chun Sa-min took over and gave the Dinos three perfect innings on 41 pitches — this a night after making 25 pitches over 1 2/3 innings.
Chun said he had no idea he’d been perfect over those frames until after the game. “I was just concentrating on executing one pitch after another,” Chun said. “I wasn’t going to worry about opposing hitters. I was going to treat it like I was playing catch with (his catcher) Kim Hyung-jun.”
With the Dinos trying to claw their way into the postseason down the stretch, Chun has been called on to pitch on consecutive days seven times in September and did it again to open October. The 26-year-old said he is “feeling great” with no physical issues whatsoever. “I think I am getting accustomed to pitching so often,” Chun added. “I think it actually helps me to stay in rhythm.”
While the Dinos were trying to stay in playoff position, the Twins were trying to clinch the pennant Wednesday. Chun said, though, he was not intimidated by the magnitude of the game for both teams. “I knew I had been pitching well and I had full trust in my stuff,” Chun added. “I wasn’t worried about whatever the other team was going to do. I was just following Hyung-jun’s lead and gave my best.”