'12⅓ innings, 18 strikeouts' — What if it hadn't been Kwak Bin! He completely shed the humiliation of not pitching in Hangzhou → ERA 0.73 powerhouse pitcher

*This content was translated by AI.

At the very top of the mound for the Korean national baseball team stands Kwak Bin (27, Doosan Bears). He perfectly shed the regret of not having thrown even a single inning in Hangzhou three years ago and led the national team to the Asian Games championship.

Led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, the South Korean national baseball team secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Japan after an intense pitching duel at Toyohashi Stadium on the afternoon of the 27th in the final match of the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games baseball tournament, claiming the gold medal.

Kwak Bin's outstanding performance as the starting pitcher was the decisive foundation for the victory. Kwak Bin tightly held down the Japanese lineup with his powerful fastball exceeding mid-150 km/h and sharp breaking balls.

Kwak Bin continued to pitch scoreless through six innings but unfortunately allowed a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the seventh, failing to meet the criteria for a winning pitcher. However, he delivered an outstanding performance close to a Quality Start Plus (QS+), pitching 6⅓ innings with four hits allowed, two walks, nine strikeouts, and one earned run. He never fell behind in the battle against Japan's mound and maintained an even flow until the end.

Looking at the entire tournament, Kwak Bin's contribution was overwhelmingly dominant. Appearing in two games of this Asian Games, including a previous match against Taiwan, Kwak Bin pitched 12⅓ innings, posting remarkable statistics: an ERA of 0.73 and 18 strikeouts. He thoroughly suppressed hits allowed and walks, recording a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.57, effectively shutting down any opportunity for opposing batters to reach base.

Especially, this performance was particularly significant for Kwak Bin personally. During the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, although he was selected for the national team, he could not appear in a single game due to illness and other symptoms during the tournament, only watching his teammates win the gold medal. While he received military service benefits, the regret of not being able to throw a pitch on the mound remained as a heavy burden in his heart.

But this time was different. Kwak Bin, who emerged as the undisputed number one starter for the Ryu Ji-hyun team, delivered an outstanding 6⅓ innings with nine strikeouts on the biggest stage of the final match, firmly protecting the mound. Although the honor of being the winning pitcher in the final was passed to Jo Byung-hyun, who pitched next, this is why praise such as "What if it hadn't been Kwak Bin?" erupted among the bench and fans.

Kwak Bin, who shed the humiliation of not pitching in Hangzhou through his own efforts and stood proudly as the ace of the national team. With a powerhouse performance featuring an ERA of 0.73, he now

has firmly established himself as an irreplaceable ace representing Korean baseball.

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*This content was translated by AI.