*This content was translated by AI.
Although the team lost 1-3 after an extra-inning battle, Kiwoom Heroes starting pitcher Ha Young-min (31) delivered a standout performance that shone brightly on its own. It was a premium pitching display that personally validated the value of his massive '8 years, 8 billion won' contract.
On the 23rd at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, Ha made his season start against Samsung Lions in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' home game, pitching 7 innings with 5 hits allowed, 2 walks, and 1 earned run (unearned). He recorded his third Quality Start Plus (QS+) of the season — defined as 7 or more innings with 3 or fewer earned runs — lowering his ERA from 4.07 to 3.97, quietly achieving entry into the 3rd-point range. With 79⅓ innings pitched, reaching the regulation innings threshold is now just around the corner.
Moreover, the opponent was Samsung, the league's top-ranked batting lineup. There was no easy moment in any of the first five innings, but Ha's ability to withstand pressure was unparalleled. In the first inning with one out and runners on first and second, he struck out Choi Hyung-woo and Lewin Diaz consecutively, immediately seizing control of the game.
Despite defensive errors leading to a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the third inning, he minimized damage by allowing only one run via a sacrifice fly to Diaz. In the fifth inning, again facing a scoring position crisis, he worked with first baseman Matt Davidson's excellent defense to retire Samsung's core hitters. As the game progressed into later innings, his pitching became even more powerful. Ha cleanly retired three batters in both the sixth and seventh innings consecutively, taking full responsibility for 7 innings.
Throwing 92 pitches that day, Ha's fastball reached a top speed of 146 km/h. His consistency was outstanding, with an average velocity reaching 144 km/h. His curveball, forkball, cutter, and slider all demonstrated their effectiveness. In particular, he frequently relied on pitches with sharp movement, throwing the forkball 32 times and the slider 28 times.
However, unfortunately, the offense provided zero run support. Kiwoom's batting lineup failed to attack Samsung starting pitcher Yang Chang-seop, remaining silent until the sixth inning. A 1-1 tie was established in the bottom of the eighth when Davidson hit a home run, sparing Ha from a loss, but Kiwoom ultimately lost 1-3 after an intense extra-inning battle extending to the 11th inning. It was a strong performance overshadowed by results, as he secured neither a personal win nor a team victory.
On the 13th, during the All-Star break period, Ha signed a groundbreaking non-free agent multi-year contract with Kiwoom worth a total of 8 billion won over eight years. After enduring many difficult years since his debut in 2014, he settled into the starting rotation in 2024 and continued to improve game after game, ultimately achieving what can be described as a 'lifetime contract.'
Although dimmed by the team's extra-inning loss, Ha's pitching — which remained steady under pressure and subdued Samsung's top-ranked lineup — was more than enough to elicit the exclamation, 'This is why they gave him 8 billion won.'
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*This content was translated by AI.
