'Ace' Kwak Bin delivers a monstrous 6-inning no-hitter in KKKKKKKKKK, showcasing the dignity of Korean baseball against Taiwan [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears' "special ace" Kwak Bin (27), under manager Ryu Ji-hyun, completely dominated Taiwan's lineup from the opening game of the Asian Games, demonstrating the dignity of Korean baseball. He clearly showed why the Taiwanese baseball community had been wary of Kwak Bin.

On the 21st, Kwak Bin made his starting appearance in the first group stage B match against Taiwan at the "2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games" held at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He delivered a perfect performance over 6 innings with no hits allowed, two walks, and ten strikeouts while remaining scoreless. His total pitch count was exactly 90.

Kwak Bin, the native ace of Doosan Bears who has recorded 11 wins and 7 losses in 26 games this season with an ERA of 2.26 in the KBO League, has once again proven his power on the international stage. Known for his powerful fastball reaching speeds between 150 km/h and the mid-to-late 150s, he leads the league in strikeouts with 186. His performance fully lived up to the firm trust placed in him by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, who selected him as the starter against Taiwan well in advance.

From the start of the game, Kwak Bin delivered flawless pitching. Immediately after the top of the first inning began, he mixed powerful fastballs with sharp breaking balls to record two strikeouts. In the top of the second inning, he continued to make Taiwanese batters swing and miss repeatedly, adding another two strikeouts and instantly shifting the momentum of the game in Korea's favor.

The only moment of crisis came in the top of the third inning, where Kwak Bin demonstrated his ace-like composure. With South Korea leading 1-0, he engaged in a tense battle with leadoff batter Gao Weiwei, eventually issuing a walk after eight pitches. Following this, catcher's interference occurred behind the plate during Tsai Wei-tai's at-bat, putting the team in a no-out, second-base scoring danger situation. However, Kwak Bin remained completely unfazed. He handled Tsai Wei-tai's sacrifice bunt attempt with a groundout to first base for the first out, then struck out Yang Bo-shang and Chen Chien-wei on consecutive swings, roaring with relief.

Having overcome the crisis himself, Kwak Bin's shoulders seemed lighter. He cleanly retired the side in order in the top of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, after one out, he allowed a walk to Tian Min-chih but quickly settled down, retiring the next two batters on weak contact to close the inning without further trouble.

The highlight came in the top of the sixth inning. Even after exceeding 80 pitches, his velocity and control remained sharp. He added two more strikeouts against Taiwan's lineup, recording a three-up, three-down inning and continuing his no-hit bid.

After completing a perfect "6-inning no-hitter" with ten strikeouts, Kwak Bin handed the baton to Jo Byung-hyun (SSG Landers) right at the start of the top of the seventh inning, when his team was clinging to a fragile 1-0 lead. He successfully concluded his outing for the day. Although this was the first group stage match where tension and pressure could have easily mounted in such a tight contest, Kwak Bin's monstrous performance laid the foundation for the Korean national team's victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.