Return match after 48 days, this time Connor had the last laugh
Connor Seabold (Samsung) laughs with Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG) during their return match.
On March 29, Samsung and SSG played a baseball game in Daegu, South Korea. SSG"s Kim Kwang-hyun earned the win with six innings of two-hit ball, four walks, seven strikeouts and one run. The second pitcher, Noh Kyung-eun, stumbled with three runs in the first inning, but Cho Byung-hyun and Moon Seung-won pitched one inning each to preserve the 6-4 victory.
Conner, on the other hand, suffered his first loss of the season, allowing five runs on nine hits (three homers) in five innings with two walks and one strikeout, including home runs to Choi Ji-hoon, Han Yoo-seom, and Ha Jae-hoon.
They met again 48 days later. Connor picked up his third win of the season, earning his first career quality start, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits (one homer) with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings at SSG Landers Field in Incheon, South Korea.
The bats were on point. Trailing 2-3 in the eighth inning, the big inning gave Connor the win. David McKinnon led off with a single to left off pinch-hitter Byung-heon Cho. Kim Young-woong and Lee Jae-hyun followed with back-to-back strikeouts, but Ryu Ji-hyuk hit a double to left-center to tie the game at 3-3.
In the ensuing two-out rally, Lee Sung-gyu struck again against Cho Byung-hyun. On a 0B-2S pitch count, he took a three-seam fastball (146km) into the left-field two-run arch. After totosafeguide.com getting hit by a pitch from Lee Sung-gyu, Cho Byung-heon was replaced by Choi Min-joon. Kim Hun-gon followed with a solo home run to left off the new pitcher, Choi Min-joon. With 1B-1S, he pulled a three-pitch curveball over the wall for his fourth arching shot of the season. 6-3.
With the score 6-3, Connor was replaced by right-hander Jae-Yoon Kim in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded, the Samsung bench called on "closer" Oh Seung-hwan to shut down the opposing offense. Samsung added six runs in the ninth inning to seal the deal.
SSG starter Kim Kwang-hyun went 5? innings, allowing two runs on six hits (one home run) with four walks and three strikeouts to earn his fourth win of the season. However, he had to swallow the disappointment of the bullpen. SSG had the bases loaded in the eighth inning but could not capitalize. Ha Jae-hoon hit a solo shot in the ninth inning, but it didn"t matter.
"Connor pitched his best game of the season, effectively shutting down the opposing bats until the seventh inning, laying the foundation for a promising eighth inning," said Park Jin-man. "In the batting lineup, Kim Young-woong, Ryu Ji-hyuk, Lee Sung-kyu, and Kim Heon-gon came to the plate with focus and made some big hits that changed the game in an instant," he added.
"We will go down to Daegu in a good mood tonight and show our home fans our best game in the three-game weekend series," promised Park Jin-man.