Hanwha’s new foreign pitcher, Birch Smith, has increased his chances of starting the opening game.
Smith started in an exhibition game against Lotte held at Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 26th and allowed 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts and 1 run in 4.1 innings. His highest speed was 155 km, and he threw pitches such as curveball, slider, changeup, and cut fastball.
In the first inning, Smith struck out 메이저놀이터a fastball of 154km to Kim Min-seok, 153km to Jeon Jun-woo, and 149km to Han Dong-hee. He struck out two innings in the second to make a three-way inning, and gave up one hit in the third, but finished scoreless.
Lotte took a chance in the 4th inning. After Jeon Jun-woo hit a double, Go Seung-min struck out, but follow-up Han Dong-hee pulled out a timely hit to the left of the left fielder and scored the first point.
In the 5th, Hanwha started counterattacking. After Lee Myung-gi hit and went on base, he succeeded in stealing second base and created a scoring opportunity. Choi Jae-hoon struck a timely hit in front of the left fielder in the second out and second base that followed, and Lee Myung-gi rushed home and balanced 1-1.
Hanwha’s attack continued in the 6th inning. After lead hitter Moon Hyun-bin went on base with a walk, Chae Eun-seong turned the tide of the game by hitting an RBI double in the left center against Lotte’s changed pitcher Lee Min-seok. In the ensuing run with bases loaded, Kim In-hwan and Oh Seon-jin got a push-off walk and ran away 4-1.
After that, the bullpen kept the lead. After starting Smith went down, Hanwha’s Kim Ki-joong, Park Sang-won, Kim Seo-hyeon, Yoon San-heum, and Jang Si-hwan took the mound to seal the Lotte batting line with no runs. /2023.03.27/
