Kim Byung-hyun Loses Bid for 6th Win

Colorado Rockies pitcher Kim Byung-hyun, 27, once again failed to get his sixth win of the season.

On July 24, Kim started off against his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching at Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona. However, during three-and-two-thirds innings, he gave up nine hits, including a homerun, and walked four batters while giving up seven earned runs. With his team trailing 5-7, he was replaced in the fourth inning with runners on the corners and two outs, but the Rockies staged a comeback winning the game 9-7, and Kim avoided recording another loss. His record for the season remains unchanged at five wins six losses, but his ERA soared from 4.78 to 5.31.

His problem was ball control. One out of every two pitches missed the strike zone, while his strikes passed right through the middle of the strike zone. Only three out of the nine hits he gave up were singles, the rest being doubles or a homerun. It was also lamentable that he allowed bases on balls at critical moments.

The Rockies batters gained momentum right after the game started by scoring three runs, but right after Kim took the mound in the bottom of the first, his first pitch to leadoff batter Jeff DaVanon was smashed for a homerun, and Kim started to lose it. Although he had runners on base during the second and third innings, fortunately he did not give up any runs.

Leading 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, with one out and runners on first and second, Diamondbacks rookie pinch-hitter Carlos Quentin hit a two RBI double. Still in the fourth with two outs and runner on second, Conor Jackson doubled and brought the runner home, while the next batter, Luis Gonzalez also hit a double.

All of the sudden the score was tied 5-5. Kim intentionally walked the next batter Chad Tracy, but Shawn Green hit another double off Kim and the Rockies lost the lead and fell behind 5-7. Nevertheless, the Rockies batted in four runs in the ninth, and won the match 9-7, with a dramatic come from behind win.

However, in five games against his former team the Arizona Diamondbacks, where Kim started in three of those games, he failed to win a single game, while stacking up three losses and an ERA of 9.37, a miserable performance by Kim.

Seung-Kun Lee why@donga.com