NC Dinos’ ‘Ace Card’ was a complete success.
As NC continues its momentum with 5 consecutive wins in fall baseball, KT Wiz, who unexpectedly suffered their first loss, launches a fierce counterattack.
After completing the first round of the playoffs on the 30th, KT and NC announced Wes Benjamin (KT) and Shin Min-hyuk (NC) as starting pitchers for the second round, respectively.
The first game was a match between ‘aces’. William Cuevas appeared for KT, and Eric Peddie appeared for NC.
Cuevas was an ‘undefeated pitcher’ during the regular season. Cuevas, who played for KT from 2019 to 2022 but failed to renew his contract this year, wore the KT uniform again as a substitute foreign player during the season.
He started playing in June and showed off his power with 12 wins, no losses, and an ERA of 2.60 in 18 games. As he led KT to victory in the 2021 Korean Series by allowing 1 run in 7⅔ innings, it was the most reliable card that KT could offer.
Peddie was the best pitcher this year. He had 20 wins, 6 losses, and a 2.00 earned run average in 30 games this year. He also recorded 209 strikeouts and won three awards as a pitcher (multiple wins, earned run average, and strikeouts). 20 wins and 200 strikeouts is a record achieved 37 years after Seon Dong-yeol of Haitai in 1986.
The winner was Pedi. While Cuevas collapsed early, allowing 7 runs (4 earned) in 3 innings, Peddie pitched an impressive pitching with 3 hits (1 home run), 12 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 run allowed in 6 innings. Peddie’s 12 strikeouts were a new playoff record.
In the historical best-of-five playoffs, the probability that the team that won the first game advanced to the Korean Series was 78.1% (25 out of 32 times).
This is a situation where KT needs a counterattack. Left-hander Benjamin, who played as a ‘one-two punch’ with Cuevas, will take the mound. In 29 games this year, he has 15 wins, 6 losses, and an average ERA of 3.54.
On the 26th, he completed the final inspection by throwing a fastball up to 147 km in the Cheongbaekjeon match. At the time, he showed off his power by striking out five.
However, it wasn’t very good against NC. He left with 1 win, 2 losses, and an ERA of 5.65 in 3 games this year.
Benjamin is the LG killer who is waiting for the Korean Series. In 5 games against LG this season, 4 wins, no losses, and an average ERA of 0.84. If he had won the first game of the playoffs, he could have started the first game of the Korean Series on November 7, a week after appearing in the second game.
However, the loss in the first game faltered slightly. If the 5th game is held, we may have to play in Suwon on the 5th. In this case, appearing in Game 1 of the Korean Series becomes difficult. This is a welcome news for LG.
NC will feature ‘semi-playoff surprise star’ Shin Min-hyuk. He recorded 5 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.98 in 29 games this season (24 as a starter). In the semi-playoff match against SSG Landers on the 22nd, he laid the foundation for a series victory by recording 4 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and no runs in 5⅔ innings. I am determined to continue the upward trend into the playoffs and lead the team to two consecutive wins in the enemy territory.먹튀검증
Against KT, he appeared in 5 games and recorded 2 wins, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 3.70.
The second game will be a watershed in the series. The home team KT, which has nowhere to retreat, or NC, which can quickly advance to the Korean Series if they win, is expected to put forth an all-out bullpen battle if they secure a win.