Kia laughs its way into KS MVP race...Samsung sighs over rash of injuries
Kia laughs its way into KS MVP race...Samsung sighs over rash of injuries
Blog Article
After taking the first three games of the best-of-seven Korean Series (KS), the KIA Tigers dugout is cautiously talking about the KS Most Valuable Player (MVP).
“I think Kim Sun-bin is the most likely MVP candidate in the current situation,” said KIA captain Na Sung-beom after the Tigers clinched their third win of the series with a 9-2 victory in Game 4 against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Saturday.
Catcher Kim Tae-goon, who hit the game-winning home run in Game 4, said, “I hope I can win the MVP with my friend Kim Sun-bin, who is the same age as me.”
Of course, the KIA players remain vigilant, saying, “There's still one game left.”
“Right now, we only want to win,” said Kim Sun-bin.
Na Sung-beom also emphasized, “If we win, we will be crowned KS MVP.”
However, the more players who can be considered MVPs, the faster the team will be on its way to the championship.
Until Game 4, Kim Sun-bin stood out at the plate and James Nail on the mound.
Kim is 8-for-13 with a .615 batting average.
He leads the KS in batting average and hits, 메이저사이트 and has produced four long balls (three doubles, one triple).
She has three multi-hit games (two or more hits in a game) in three of the four KS games and has driven in at least two runs in all four games.
Nail started Games 1 and 4, going 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA (3 earned runs in 10⅔ innings).
He also had the “epic” story of taking the mound for the KS and earning a starting role after being hit in the jaw by a pitch from foreign hitter Matt Davidson in an August 24 game against the NC Dinos, requiring surgery to fix his jaw joint.
The KS MVP vote is as much about 'impressions' as it is about cumulative records.
Catcher Kim Tae-gun went 5-for-16 (.385 batting average) with one home run and six RBIs.
Kim Tae-goon, who hit his first professional grand slam in Game 4 of the KS Series, could receive extra points.
While Kia is in the midst of a hot MVP race, Samsung has been riddled with injuries.
Samsung's homegrown ace Won Tae-in, who pitched five innings of two-hit ball in Game 1, was forced to leave early in Game 4 (2⅓ innings, six runs on six hits) after complaining of shoulder discomfort.
“A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed a labrum injury in Won Tae-in's right shoulder,” the Samsung club said late on the afternoon of the 26th, adding, ”There is some bleeding in the joint and shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis. The medical team concluded that he would need four to six weeks of rehabilitation.”
As a result, Won won't be able to take the mound for KS even if the series goes to Game 7.
Samsung was left without foreign starter Connor Seabold and key bullpen arm Choi Ji-kang, who were injured during the regular season.
While preparing for the playoffs (PO), veteran left-handed pitcher Baek Jung-hyun was hit by a pitch, injuring his finger and face.
In the second game of the PO, Koo Ja-uk, the heart of the offense, injured her knee while attempting to steal second base.
Gu was included in the KS roster, but didn't get a single at-bat until Game 4.
Even at 100 percent, the KS is a tough one, and Samsung is playing without a key two-hitter.