It is necessary to prove that it is a temporary sluggishness. Can Wes Benjamin (30) of KT Wiz break the losing streak he started with?
Benjamin will start in the SSG Landers match of the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 2nd. Perhaps it is the first game of May that is as important as the opening game.
kt is currently on a 9-game losing streak. Since the match against Suwon SSG on the 20th of last month, they have not won even once, including a draw. During the losing streak, the team ranked 3rd (7 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses) as of the 19th, and the team performance fell to 9th place (7 wins, 2 draws and 14 losses). It is important to decorate the first game of May with victory in order to cut off the flow of April, which was like a nightmare.
There are various factors for the losing streak, such as the sluggish batting line and unstable mound, but among them, the sluggishness of Benjamin, the team’s first starter and ace, is painful. Foreign pitchers, as the aces of the team, have a heavy duty to maintain a winning streak and end the losing streak. However, the performance that Benjamin showed recently is far from being a first starter and an ace.
Unfortunately, the losing streak started with Benjamin, and it was against SSG. On the 20th of last month, when the team was on a 3-game winning streak, it collapsed with 8 hits (2 homers), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts and 6 runs in 6 innings, and the team lost 5-8 and became a losing pitcher.
Benjamin’s next appearance, against Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 26th, was also sluggish. He was named the losing pitcher as he looked to the team’s 2-13 loss with 7 hits (2 homers), 4 walks, 4 strikeouts and 5 runs in 5⅓ innings.토토사이트
Benjamin attracted attention by throwing a powerful four-seam fastball that reached the maximum speed of 151 km per hour in the opening game (against the LG Twins in Suwon on the 1st). At that time, he continued perfect pitching until after one shot in the top of the 6th inning, and announced a fantastic start to the season with 6 innings, 2 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts and 1 run (non-earned run). At the beginning of the season, good fighting continued and was evaluated as ‘good fortune’, but the momentum was broken within a month.
Regarding Benjamin, who has been struggling lately, kt coach Lee Kang-cheol said, “I think my pitching was shaken because I was paying attention to speed. It was so good that I didn’t fall down during the demonstration game, but that time came at the beginning of the regular season. I’m not a pitcher that will collapse like this.” was expected to shake off and rebound.
Benjamin’s first appearance in May is important to break the team’s losing streak and reverse the recent sluggish pitching. I wonder if Benjamin will be able to get back on track by avenging his first loss against SSG.