Chan-Ho says, “Isn’t there a closer like BK?”

“Is it the matter of confidence?” There continues the crossed joy and grief between ‘the Korean Express’ Park Chan-ho (29, Texas Rangers) and ‘the Nuclear Sub’ Kim, Byung-Hyun (23, Arizona Diamondbacks).

Park, Chan-Ho started the game against Kansas City Royals at the Kansas City Kaufman Stadium on the 18th, and allowed 9 hits, 4 base on balls, and 2 hit by pitched balls for 7 innings and went down in the bottom of the 8th with the score of 5-3. However, Park Chan-ho lost his nearly achieve win because the bullpen pitchers Rich Rodriguez and Danny Colb each allowed a point. It marks his record of 3 wins and 5 losses with the ERA of 7.26. He did not record a win for four consecutive games (2 losses) since the win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 24.

Although the bullpen blew the win, Park Chan-ho’s pitching was not impressive, either. In the bottom of the second inning, when the team was winning by 2-0 with the help of the team hitters, he was shaken after allowing a center hit to Michael Tucker. He brought the loaded base crisis with one man out upon himself allowing a base on balls to Nippi Perez and a hit by pitched ball to Carlos Pebbles. Although he got Brent Maine with a foul fly, he allowed a base on balls to Aaron Gayle and allowed a point. And he allowed a reversal of 2-3 with a 2 run double from Louis Alicea when the base was loaded with 2 men out.

Park, Chan-Ho slowly got his composure back after regaining the lead with 4-3 by a two run homer by Herbert Perry in the top of the 3rd. However, Park, Chan-Ho still showed his control problem with only one strike out and 6 base on balls or hit by pitched balls out of 121 pitches. He threw confidently with a favorable ball count, but he made the coaching staff worried because he showed passive pitching with an unfavorable ball count. The Texas Rangers lost game 5-6 allowing a game winning homerun to Maine in the bottom of extra 11th inning.

Meanwhile ‘the Arizona’s guarding angel’ Kim Byung-hyun got his 26th save of the season after stepped up to the mound in the bottom of the 9th inning when the team was leading 5-3 on the road against the San Francisco Giants and managed two hitters clearly for two thirds of the inning. His ERA was dropped from 2.21 to 2.18 and he was ranked at the 5th in the National League relief pitchers list. He also reached 60 save mark in his career.

He save the teams victory, with his unique trouble free pitching, by managing the first hitter Benito Santiago with a ground ball to the second base and turning down Regie Sanders with a strike out. Arizona regains the lead in the National League West, with the record of 55 wins and 38 losses, leaving out the LA Dodgers (55 wins 39 losses).

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com