KIA Tigers foreign pitcher Sean Anderson earned his first win in his third appearance. Yang Hyeon-jong wrote a letter on the order paper and presented it, and the pitcher tank celebrated by sprinkling water.
Anderson started the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against Hanwha at the Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 12th and pitched a quality start plus pitching with 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts and no runs in 7 innings. As the team won 2-0, Anderson became the winning pitcher.
Anderson pitched well in the previous two games. Anderson became a losing pitcher even after giving up 6 hits (1 home run), 2 strikeouts, 2 walks and 3 runs in 6⅔ innings in the opening game against SSG on the 1st. On the 7th, against Gwangju Doosan, he became a losing pitcher again with 6 hits (1 home run), 3 strikeouts and 3 runs (2 earned) in 7⅓ innings.
It was also great that he did not receive help from other players. The KIA lineup scored only one point against Kim Gwang-hyun, even with seven players on base. In the match against Doosan, Alcantara was tied tightly. He went on base with five on base with two hits and three walks, but did not score as he struck out eight.
Even on this day, Anderson did not receive many goals. Moon Dong-ju is selected for Hanwha. He pitched 5 scoreless innings in his first appearance of the season, giving the team its first win. Although he is a pitcher in his second year, he is regarded as the next ace.
Still, the KIA lineup did not miss the opportunity when it came. He withdrew with strikeout-strike-strikeout in the first inning, but in the second inning, Hwang Dae-in walked and Choi Hyung-woo hit a score in the scoring position. Byun Woo-hyeok’s ground ball from second base made the first and third bases, and Kim Ho-ryeong retreated with a catcher’s fly, but Lee Woo-seong hit a single shot. He hit a double to right field and brought both runners home. One regrettable thing was that he was out after running too hard to third base. Moon Dong-joo might have been more shaken if he had been pressurized from second out and second base. Anderson’s shoulders should have been lighter too. However, the inning ended like this, and KIA could not score more points.
From then on, it was Anderson’s Showtime. In the third inning, two runners were sent out, but he turned it into a hit, and from the 4th to the 7th, he made a tripartite inning for 4 consecutive innings.
Anderson passed the mound to Jeon Sang-hyeon in the 8th inning and completed his mission.
93 pitches. He overpowered the Hanwha lineup by throwing 41 fastballs with a maximum speed of 149km, 10 curveballs, 38 sliders, and 4 changeups. The average ERA for the season was also lowered to 2.14.
Players from the pitching group surrounded Anderson, who was giving a broadcast interview after the game. He waited with a bucket full of water. And after the interview, he celebrated his first win by splashing water.
And that’s not all. Hyeonjong Yang delivered the lineup card to Anderson. In the middle of the lineup card, the phrase ‘The 1st WIN in the KBO’ was left.
Anderson, who was drenched in water during an interview with reporters, said, “I think the team won, not my own victory.”
Anderson had previously faced tough opponents on the mound, including SSG Kim Gwang-hyun, Doosan Alcantara, and Hanwha Moon Dong-ju.
He said, “If the opposing pitchers didn’t score, I didn’t want to score. I only threw with the thought that I didn’t want to score as much as possible,” he said. It was encouraging to catch the outcount. The defense also helped a lot,” he said, thanking his teammates.
At the end, he also thanked his fans. Anderson said,안전놀이터 “The support from the fans is really amazing. It’s amazing that each hitter has a cheering song, and every time I come down from the mound after pitching, they shout my name. This is the first time I’ve experienced it. That’s why it was better.” Even when I’m in the bullpen on days I don’t play, they call me by name and greet me warmly.