By Kwon Hyuk-jun Reporter = SSG Landers’ Kim Kwang-hyun (35) has reached the golden milestone of facing 8,000 batters in his career.
Kim Kwang-hyun started the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, giving up no runs on three hits and striking out six in the fifth inning.
Kim, who had faced 7986 batters in his KBO career before this game, faced 14 batters until the fourth inning, when he was hit by two pitches.
When he faced Lim Ji-yeol with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, he faced exactly 8,000 batters. He induced Lim to ground out to third base on two pitches.
Kwang-hyun is the 11th pitcher in the KBO to face 8,000 batters. Prior to Kim, only longtime pitchers such as Song Jin-woo (12,708 pitches), Jung Min-cheol (9932 pitches), Yang Hyun-jong (KIA-9538 pitches), Bae Young-soo (9459 pitches), Kim Won-hyung (9303 pitches), Lee Kang-chul (9136 pitches), Jang Won-jun (Doosan-8696 pitches), Han Yong-duk (8601 pitches), Yoon Sung-hwan (8161 pitches), and Jeong Sam-heum (8004 pitches) have reached this mark.
Kim Kwang-hyun, who made his debut with the SK Wyverns (now SSG) in 2007, has been the KBO’s signature left-handed ace for 16 years. In 2020 and 2021, he tried his hand at Major League Baseball, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.토스카지노
He returned to the KBO last year and went 13-3 with a 2.13 ERA, and this season he is 4-1 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 games.
Meanwhile, Kim Kwang-hyun pitched a scoreless fifth inning. SSG and Kiwoom are currently tied 0-0 after five innings.