Wes Benjamin (30), a pitcher for the second year of the KT Wiz, sets out to save the team that is mired in a 9-game losing streak.
On the 2nd, KT will play an away game against SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon.
KT is currently in 9th place with 7 wins, 2 draws and 14 losses. KT was once at the top of the list, but the recent results are disastrous.
From SSG at home on the 20th of last month to the Samsung Lions on the 30th, they are recording 1 draw and 9 losses in 10 matches.
After 3 consecutive losses, he recorded 1 draw against the Doosan Bears, but lost all 6 games afterwards and fell into a 9-game losing streak. KT’s 9th consecutive loss is 22.51 million since August 4-13, 2016.
KT’s sluggish performance is largely attributable to weakened power due to injury. The core sovereignty of the bullpen, Kim Min-soo, and the outfielder assignment team have yet to play a single game due to injuries.
National team pitcher Sohn So-jun has also been on hiatus due to an injury since his first appearance of the season on the 2nd of last month.
The sluggishness of the other line is serious here. Kang Baek-ho, who should play a central role, struggles with a batting average of 0.150 (3 hits in 20 at-bats) in the last 5 games, and Park Byeong-ho also has a batting average of 0.278 (5 hits in 18 at-bats), falling short of his name.
In order to change the atmosphere recently, KT raised Yuhan-joon, the second-team hitting coach, to the first team, and even Hwang Jae-gyun, who was in poor physical condition, was rushed to the game, but could not prevent a losing streak.
Desperately in need of a reversal of the atmosphere, KT seeks victory by putting Benjamin as the starter against SSG that day.
In the opening game against the LG Twins on April 1st, Benjamin, who won his first win with 2 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts and 1 run (own charge) in 6 innings, including a ‘perfect’ march with 1 out in 5 innings, also played against the Lotte Giants on the 8th. He scored 2 wins at once with 3 runs in 6 innings.
However, after giving up 3 runs in 4 innings against the Hanwha Eagles on the 14th, he went down the mound and became a losing pitcher with 8 hits (2 homers) and 6 runs in 6 innings against SSG on the 20th. It was the first game he scored more than 5 runs in a game since coming to Korea.
In the game against Kiwoom Heroes on the 26th, he became a losing pitcher with 7 hits (2 homers) and 5 runs in 5⅓ innings. Benjamin’s ERA soared to 5.60 due to 3 consecutive games of sluggishness. 메이저사이트
If Benjamin, the ace of the team, continues to collapse, KT cannot expect a rebound.
In particular, since the beginning of KT’s 9th consecutive loss was against SSG, where Benjamin started, this day is an opportunity for Benjamin to restore his team and individual honor against the same team.
If Benjamin struggles again, KT’s worries will inevitably grow.
Meanwhile, SSG is currently competing fiercely with Lotte and LG for the lead, so it cannot afford to look after KT’s circumstances.
In SSG, right-hander Moon Seung-won will start on the mound. Moon Seung-won, who recovered from his right elbow injury and secured a spot in the starting rotation, is 1-1 this season with an earned run average of 4.08.