Increased velocity. Endured long innings but failed to control the long ball.
In his first start of the season, 2020 first-round pick Hwang Dong-jae (22), a tall right-hander, left both hope and challenges.
Hwang Dong-jae started the eighth game of the season against NC at Lions Park in Daegu, South Korea, and threw 110 pitches in 5⅔ innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits, three walks and one hit batter while striking out four. Trailing 5-1 with two outs in the top of the sixth, he turned to the bullpen.
His velocity was up. His fastball was up to 147 mph. He mixed in a slider and a forkball, and while he gave up some long balls on missed pitches, he showed promise with a mix of fastballs and changeups that could give him a legitimate shot at the starting job if he can keep it low.
Before the game, Samsung manager Park Jin-man said, “It’s my first game, so the first and second innings will be the most difficult for me when I come up after a long time. If I can get through the difficult innings, I think I can still feel a little bit more comfortable, so I think I can throw my own ball. Pitchers who haven’t pitched in a long time always struggle in the first inning, so I hope I can get through that process well.”
The worrisome first inning got off to a good start with a triple play after 11 pitches and a super catch by Pirela in right field. Samsung got on the board in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Kim Dong-yeop.
However, in the second inning, after two walks, Ahn Jung-yeol doubled to put runners on first and second base to make it 1-2.
A second triple in the third. But after a leadoff walk to Kwon in the fourth, he gave up a two-run homer to Martin on a fastball on a full count. 1-4.
Worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth with two fly balls. But two batters later in the sixth, he gave up a solo homer to Ahn Jung-yeol, giving up five runs.
While it was unfortunate that he gave up five runs on three long balls, he deserves credit for going the distance, throwing 110 pitches in his first start.
“There is an expectation that he will do it once in a while,” Park said before the game. “He is competitive and bold on the mound. He also throws two-seam and messy balls,” Park said before the game, evaluating the potential of starting pitcher Hwang Dong-jae.
Hwang Dong-jae gained first-team experience last year, pitching 66⅓ innings in 16 games. He went 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA.
He pitched well in April and May, raising expectations, but he struggled a bit in June and lost a lot of his ERA. He bounced back in July and raised expectations.메이저놀이터
In five Futures League games this season, he went 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA. He’s gone six innings in his last two starts. Buchanan was called up on July 7 due to soreness in the back of his hand. After showing promise in his first start, Hwang will look forward to his next opportunity to solve the fifth-inning woes.