First round of playoffs. Alford may hold the key to the KT Wiz batting lineup. This is because he was quite strong, hitting two home runs against Eric Peddy (NC), the best pitcher who dominated the KBO league this season.
KT Wiz and NC Dinos will play the first game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank KBO Postseason Playoffs (PO, best of 5) at KT Wiz Park in Suwon at 6:30 pm on the 30th.
KT’s starter is Cuevas, NC’s starter is Pedi. Both teams aim to win the first game by starting the best ace. In the past 32 playoffs, best of 5, the percentage of teams that won the first game advanced to the Korean Series was 78.1%. It can be said that winning the first game is that important.토토사이트
Cuevas joined midway through the season as a substitute this season and played well with 12 wins, no losses, and an ERA of 2.60. He became the third player in history to have a 100% winning percentage, winning the KBO winning percentage award. Cuevas was the first player to win the KBO winning percentage award with only starting wins without a single loss record. He started one game against NC this year and pitched well with 5 hits, 4 strikeouts, and 2 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings.
In response to this, NC starts with Peddie. Peddie started 30 games this season and recorded 20 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 2.00. He achieved three crowns, ranking first in earned run average, most wins, and strikeouts. He became the first player in 37 years since Sun Dong-yeol (Haitai) in 1986 to achieve 20 wins and 200 strikeouts at the same time.
Against KT, Peddie started 3 games this season and recorded 1 win, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.65. KT lost twice against the KBO’s best pitcher. His performance against KT was 19 hits (3 home runs), 4 walks, 23 strikeouts, and 9 runs (5 earned runs) in 17 innings. The hitting percentage was 0.271.
So, who had a good performance against Peddie in KT? The one that stands out the most is Alford. He went 5-for-8 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in 9 at-bats against Peddie, including two home runs. He hit a two-run home run in the 3rd inning against Suwon NC on May 9 and a solo home run in the 4th inning against Suwon NC on August 13. He also walked one and struck out only once.
He showed off his prowess as a ‘nuclear hitter’ against the best ace. This is why KT and KT fans have high expectations for Alford. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol, who met in Suwon on the 29th, expressed his expectations about Alford, saying, “He did very well last year. Because of that, it also affected this year’s contract. Won’t he get better?”
Alford performed well in the postseason last year. In the wild card game against the KIA Tigers, he led the team to victory by going 3-for-4 with 2 hits, 1 run, 1 stolen base, and 1 walk. Then, in the semi-playoffs against Kiwoom Heroes, he had a batting average of 0.400 (8 hits in 20 at-bats), 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, 2 walks, an on-base percentage of 0.455, and a slugging percentage of 0.600 in 5 games. He also showed a strong performance in big games on defense, such as making a super catch in a crucial scene.
What kind of performance will Alford show in this year’s fall baseball? KT fans’ expectations are rising.
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