Kiwoom head coach Hong Won-ki praised Jang Jae-young’s progress.
“I think Jang Jae-young should focus on how he continues to change, not how many wins he has,” he said before the game against Doosan at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 24.
Jang had started the previous day against Doosan, giving up two runs on five hits with five walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Despite the five walks, he didn’t completely collapse.
Prior to this game, Jang had recorded two consecutive quality starts. He threw six innings of four-hit ball, one home run, one walk, and three strikeouts against LG on April 11, and then followed that up with six innings of three-hit ball against KIA on April 17, fulfilling his duties as a starter for the second straight game.
Although Kiwoom lost the previous day against Doosan, 4-11, the team was able to recognize the significance of Jang’s progress.
Manager Hong Won-ki said, “Anyone can give a walk. Even Ahn Woo-jin can give one. All pitchers can give them, but now we’re focusing on how they react and how they handle it,” he said. “Now Jang Jae-young can go over 100 pitches and doesn’t collapse at once, and that’s a little bit of a change.”메이저사이트
Kiwoom, which has been on a virtual rebuilding path this season, needs growth from its starting pitchers. Choi Won-tae was traded to LG and the team is in last place. Jang Jae-young needs to improve to raise expectations for next season.
“I think it will take a lot of patience before we have one great starting pitcher,” Hong said.
He met with Jang before the game and spoke with him privately. “The important thing is whether he knows it or not, and he knows it, so we’ll have to see how it changes in his next start,” Hong said.
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