'With' 36-year-old Kim Sang-soo, 159 km/h Kwak Bin was thoroughly outmatched! No matter what he threw, it was cut—cut→ML-level spectacular defense, why did he throw his body like that?

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz veteran infielder Kim Sang-soo (36) became a role model for his younger teammates with performances that seemed to have forgotten his age.

Kim Sang-soo started at third in the batting order and at second base in the visiting game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 28th, going 3-for-3 with no hits, two RBIs, one walk, and one strikeout, leading KT to an 11-3 victory.

On that day, KT unloaded 13 hits, including both long and short hits, drew eight walks, and displayed explosive offense, scoring 10 runs in the final three innings alone. Sam Hilliard went 4-for-6 with one home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored, while Choi Won-jun went 3-for-5 with one walk and three runs scored, achieving four times on base.

The opposing pitcher that day was national team ace Kwak Bin (27). Kwak Bin, armed with a powerful fastball clocked at a top speed of 159 km/h and averaging 155 km/h, suppressed the KT lineup, including a perfect pitching through the third inning, all while being watched by Major League (ML) scouts.

The player who most thoroughly outmatched Kwak Bin was Kim Sang-soo. In the top of the first inning, Choi Won-jun and Kim Hyun-soo were retired on grounders against Kwak Bin's fastball-only pitching. Kwak Bin continued to throw fastballs at Kim Sang-soo, but Kim Sang-soo kept hitting them away, making things difficult for Kwak Bin. Only after Kwak Bin threw a slider instead of a fastball did the inning finally end. Kim Sang-soo also drew a walk with a full count with no outs and runners on first and second in the top of the third, pushing Kwak Bin into a bases-loaded crisis.

The highlight came in the top of the 6th inning. Through the fifth inning, Kwak Bin had thrown only 81 pitches and could have been on track for a Quality Start Plus (seven or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs). However, leadoff batter Kim Sang-soo persistently fought through a 0-ball-2-strike count, producing five foul balls. By the time Kim Sang-soo was thrown out on a fly ball to right field, Kwak Bin's pitch count had already exceeded 91.

In the top of the 7th inning with one out and runners on first and third, Kim Sang-soo hit a pitch on the inside corner, resulting in a ground ball to the shortstop that gave KT a go-ahead RBI, making the score 3-2. That lead held until the end, making Kim Sang-soo the hero of the game-winning hit.

Kim Sang-soo also left a strong impression on defense. In the bottom of the 7th inning, after Go Young-pyo was replaced by Son Dong-hyun, Doosan started with leadoff batter Jung Soobin. Jung Soobin hit a forkball hard on the sixth pitch, producing a ball that skimmed past the second base bag.

However, it never left the infield. Kim Sang-soo threw his body into the play, making a straight-line out on Jung Soobin's hit and dousing the Doosan dugout. Afterward, Park Chan-ho's hit was turned into a line drive out by shortstop Kwon Dong-jin with a jump catch, completely breaking Doosan's will to chase.

After the game, Kim Sang-soo said, "Not just me, but the entire team wanted to overcome the early atmosphere and secure a victory. It was a tight game, and with the tying situation, I think we ran even harder. I believe focusing on seizing a clear advantage in the next opportunity helped us overcome the tense situation."

Thanks to the hustle plays and focused hitting of the entire team, including Kim Sang-soo, starting pitcher Go Young-pyo became the winning pitcher for the first time in 51 days and eight games since the match against Busan Lotte Giants on the 7th of last month. It was the ace's second win of the season that the entire KT team had been waiting for. Kim Sang-soo smiled and said, "(Go) Young-pyo got a win after a long time, and I'm really happy that I could help him become the winning pitcher."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.