186 ⅓ innings, 3002 Pitches

NC will face KT Wiz in Game 5 of the postseason playoff of the '2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League' at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 5th. He is facing the series with two wins and two losses, and with one more win, he can reach the much-awaited Korean Series. 스포츠토토핫 On the other hand, if you lose one game, you are eliminated from the fall baseball league.

After fierce competition for third place at the end of the regular season, he fell to fourth place. Since then, NC has effectively been in postseason mode. Coach Kang In-kwon explained the current NC team's difficult journey, saying, It's actually the same as playing the postseason for about a month while competing for the rankings since the beginning of October.

In fact, NC, which was not highly evaluated as a candidate for the last place, was able to enter the fall baseball league thanks to ace Eric Peddy. Peddy, who wore an NC uniform while playing the Major League starting rotation until last year, was called a outdoor breed that overwhelmed and disturbed the Korean league. He easily faced Korean batters with a two-seam in the early-mid 150km range and a sweeper that fluttered far in the opposite trajectory. Cuts, sliders, and changeups were also powerful.

He recorded 20 wins and 6 losses in 30 regular-season games with an ERA of 40 earned runs in 180 ⅓ innings and 209 strikeouts. Peddy was responsible for 20 of the team's 75 wins 67 losses and 2 draws, 26.7% in terms of ratio.

And both wins, ERA and strikeouts topped the list, achieving the seventh triple crown ever. He is the fourth player in history. Sun Dong-yeol recorded a total of four triple crowns from 1986 and 1989-1991. Since then, Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin in 2006 and KIA Yoon Seok-min in 2011 have achieved the Triple Crown. After 12 years, Peddy set a milestone.

In addition, he also achieved the record of 20 wins and 200 strikeouts for the fifth time in history. Sammi Jang-bu 30 wins and 220 strikeouts achieved the record in 1983, Lotte Choi Dong-won 27 wins and 223 strikeouts in 1984, Samsung Kim Si-jin 25 wins and 201 strikeouts in 1985, and Haitai Sun Dong-yeol 24 wins and 214 strikeouts in 1986. Peddy became the first player in the 21st century and the first foreign player to record 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in 37 years after Sun Dong-yeol.

However, in the match against KIA in Gwangju, which was his last appearance in the regular season on the 16th of last month, he sat down after being hit by a pitch to his right forearm. committed to recovery. It skipped both the wild-card game and the semi-playoff. He showed overwhelming ball power throughout the season, so fatigue was bound to build up. He has already exceeded the most innings in his career. He prepared to start Game 3 of the semi-playoff, but his appearance was delayed due to symptoms of right elbow collision syndrome. The team finished the semi-playoff in three games, giving Peddy plenty of time to rest.

After about two weeks of rest, he started in the first round of the playoffs on the 30th of last month. He showed more powerful pitching than the regular season. Up to 155 kilometers of two-seam fastballs penetrated every corner of the strike zone, and the main weapon sweeper (49) was also sharply broken. Peddy made KT batters hectic and showed his best pitching in six innings with 98 pitches and three hits one homer with one walk, 12 strikeouts, and one run. His 12 strikeouts were the most in a single game in the history of the playoffs.

NC has preempted two wins in the series and has only one win left until the Korean Series. If he gained momentum and finished the series within Game 4, Peddy could take about six days off and play until Game 1 of the Korean Series. However, with two wins and two losses, the series became the originator, and Peddy had to take the mound after a five-day break.

But Peddy can't start Game 5. NC predicted Shin Min-hyuk, who showed 12 scoreless innings in two postseason games this year, as the starting pitcher for Game 5. Shin Min-hyuk is not without expectations. However, he is not as fearful as Pedi, who showed powerful pitching.

After Game 4, coach Kang In-kwon said, Peddy's condition has not recovered to 100%. Shin Min-hyuk's condition is not bad at the moment, he said. I will check my condition tomorrow the 4th morning and make a decision. He did not confirm whether Pedi would take the mound or not, and Shin Min-hyuk was eventually in charge of the mound. It doesn't seem like a five-day break is enough to relieve fatigue.

In fact, Peddy threw a lot. I've never thrown this many seasons in my career. In 2021, when he played in the Major League, 133 ⅓ innings were the most innings. In the regular season, he took about 20 days off due to pain in his elbow's forearm. And at the end of the regular season, coach Kang In-kwon and the training part continued to manage fatigue.

In the end, it seems difficult to fully recover from accumulated fatigue. He played 186 ⅓ innings 180 regular-season innings + 6 post-season innings and threw 3002 pitches 2904 regular-season + 98 post-season innings.

However, his teammates continued their miracle march from the lowest stage of the postseason. The tension and pressure of the postseason far exceed the regular season. That's why fielders are bound to get tired. Park Kun-woo fired a two-run shot in the first round of the playoffs despite symptoms of cold body aches. Park Min-woo has been playing since the end of the regular season with minor injuries such as shoulder and leg. Seo Ho-cheol is also playing postseason games without full recovery after suffering an ankle ligament injury due to a broken nose at the end of the regular season. Everyone is showing the word fighting spirit directly under the stage of Autumn Baseball.

But Peddy did not take the stage of his colleagues' miracles and opportunities. KT's ace William Cuevas faced Peddy in the first round. He threw 75 pitches with seven runs four earned runs in four innings, but he took three days off and came to the mound in Game 4 to put the series to square one with his fighting spirit of throwing 73 pitches without allowing one hit in six innings. It is inevitable, but it is the appearance of the aces that are bound to be compared.