’11 K’ against Hanwha, who conceded 11 runs, Benjamin’s perfect revenge… “Get good stimulation”

He struck out 11 times against an opponent who gave up 11 runs and gave up 11 runs, and also prevented Ryu Hyun-jin from reaching his 100th win. For Wes Benjamin (KT Wiz), it was a revenge story that could not have been more perfect.

Benjamin took the starting mound in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game against the Hanwha Eagles held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do on the 24th, and pitched 99 pitches over 8 innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, and 1 run, leading the team. He led the team to a 7-1 victory and earned his third win (one loss).

This day’s game attracted attention as Hanwha starter Ryu Hyun-jin’s 100-win challenge, but it had a different meaning for Benjamin. This is because there was a debt to repay due to the previous collapse at Hanwha.

Benjamin became the losing pitcher in the match against Hanwha on the 31st of last month with his worst pitching of 11 hits (2 home runs), 1 walk out, 4 strikeouts, and 11 runs in 3 innings. The 11 goals conceded were the most goals conceded by Benjamin, who has played in the KBO League since 2022.

But today’s game was different. He tightly bound Hanwha’s batting line with a fastball with a maximum speed of 150 km and a sharp slider and cutter. The 11 strikeouts also tie Benjamin’s record for most strikeouts in a single game, which he recorded against Kiwoom last year.

Aside from a solo home run hit by Jonathan Peraza in the first inning and a situation where the team was on first and second base with no outs in the sixth inning, there wasn’t even a crisis of any kind.

Benjamin pitched 8 innings in two consecutive games following the Kiwoom Heroes game on the 18th (8 scoreless innings). Since the ‘disaster’ against Hanwha, he has played 28 innings in 4 games, allowing only 3 earned runs, with an ERA of only 0.96.

Benjamin, whom we met after the game, was satisfied, saying, “The game that day was very bad, but I think that bad game served as a positive stimulus and led to today’s good results.”

He said, “Actually, since spring training, I lowered my arm angle to prevent increased velocity and neck pain, but after my poor performance against Hanwha, I raised it again.” He added, “As the vertical movement of my fastball, which is my strength, improved again, my performance also improved.” did.

He said he was well aware of the fact that interest in today’s game was focused on whether Ryu Hyun-jin would win his 100th game.

Benjamin said, “I knew that many fans would come, and that many people would wish for Ryu Hyun-jin’s victory,” and added, “Still, I had to repay the debt I owed to Hanwha. It was a game I was proud of.”

He added, “I know well that Ryu Hyun-jin is a great pitcher who pitched in the United States until last year,” and added, “I think he may be going through an adjustment period in the beginning because the league is different.”

This year, KT, which has been struggling at the beginning of the season and is hovering in the bottom tier, is preparing to rise again. Benjamin also had no doubt about the team’s rebound.

He emphasized, “Although the rankings are at the bottom, the players are working hard without being adversely affected. Last year, our team started in 10th place and moved up, so I believe this time too. I think our performance will get better.”

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