'Max 159km/h Boom!' An Woo-jin quietly returns, achieving a Quality Start for the first time in 1,016 days: "My physical condition is excellent"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes' 'right-handed fireballer' An Woo-jin (27) is finally regaining the stature of an 'ace.' He achieved a Quality Start (QS·starting pitcher pitching 6 or more innings with 3 or fewer earned runs) for the first time in 1,016 days since the 2023 season, announcing a complete comeback.

Under manager Seol Jong-jin (53), Kiwoom secured a thrilling comeback victory over the Hanwha Eagles in a home game of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 12th, winning 4-3. Although trailing 1-3 with a heavy sense of defeat, Kiwoom scored three runs in the ninth inning to turn the game around. With this win, Kiwoom broke its losing streak and recorded a season record of 24 wins, 40 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage 0.375).

An Woo-jin took the mound as the starter to break the team's losing streak on this day. He threw 95 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 5 hits (1 home run), 2 walks/strikeouts, and 2 earned runs while pitching effectively. An Woo-jin recorded a QS exactly 1,016 days after his last one on August 31, 2023, against the SSG Landers at Munhak Stadium (6 innings, 1 earned run).

An Woo-jin's weapon on this day was undoubtedly his overwhelming pitching velocity. Of the total 95 pitches, he threw the most fastballs (48), mixed with sliders (25), curves (14), and changeups (8). In particular, his fastest fastball reached 159 km/h on the scoreboard, tightly binding the Hanwha lineup.

An Woo-jin started steadily, cleanly getting through the first and second innings without allowing any runs. The first crisis came in the bottom of the third. After giving up a hit and consecutive walks, he found himself in a bases-loaded, one-out situation, but he escaped the crisis without allowing a run by inducing a double play from Moon Hyun-bin, demonstrating his ability to handle institutional investor crises.

There was a scoring situation only in the fourth inning. An Woo-jin allowed a lead-off solo home run to leadoff batter Kang Baek-ho and also gave up a double to Noh Si-hwan. With no outs and runners on second base, when Kim Tae-yeon bunted, An Woo-jin threw accurately to third base, but Noh Si-hwan's clever sliding avoided the tag, resulting in runners on first and third with no outs.

Here, An Woo-jin minimized the damage. After striking out Heo In-seo, he allowed only one more run via a sacrifice fly to Lee Do-yoon and then handled Sim Woo-jun on a ground ball to prevent further runs. Afterward, An Woo-jin retired the side in order in the fifth inning and, even in a crisis with two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the sixth, he struck out Heo In-seo again, perfectly completing his mission. According to the Kiwoom organization, scouts from the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals came to the Gocheok Dome on this day to watch An Woo-jin.

The previously silent Kiwoom lineup also showed terrifying resilience in the latter half of the game. Trailing 0-2, Kiwoom began their comeback with Seo Geon-chang's solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 1-3, they closed the gap in the bottom of the ninth with a one-run RBI single by Yeo Dong-wook. Then, with two outs and runners on first and second, Seo Geon-chang hit a dramatic walk-off triple, completing the 4-3 stunning comeback. Thanks to the lineup's dramatic help, An Woo-jin, who had been in a crisis of defeat, could also smile broadly.

After the game, An Woo-jin stated through the organization, "I am really happy to record a Quality Start after such a long time and to be able to break the team's losing streak." He added, "I wanted to lay the foundation for the team to win no matter what. My current physical condition is excellent."

In fact, An Woo-jin had swallowed his regrets after his previous appearance on the 6th against the Doosan Bears, where he collapsed after pitching 3 innings and allowing 6 earned runs. However, since then, he has sharpened his skills through thorough reflection and analysis.

An Woo-jin said, "I was not able to show a satisfactory performance in the last game, so I analyzed the cause. I think it was different from when the angle of my fastball was good." He added, "Today, I focused on that part the most from the first inning. I felt like the ball had power, so I tried to maintain that good feeling throughout the game."

On this day, Kiwoom faced additional bad news outside the game, and the team atmosphere was somewhat subdued. This was because playing coach Lee Yong-gyu, who was involved in a drunk driving accident, announced his retirement. Although the situation could have been chaotic, An Woo-jin focused solely on 'pitching.'

An Woo-jin said, "I did not participate in the pre-game meeting because I was sticking to the starting pitcher's routine, but I understand that the players talked to each other not to let the atmosphere get too down and to play hard." He added, "So I also wanted to focus even more on just throwing the ball on the mound," delivering a mature response.

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*This content was translated by AI.