Andrew Abbott (24), a left-handed pitcher who emerged as a special rookie of the Cincinnati Reds, threw the best pitch of his life, but missed the victory. One home run hit by Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres) in the 8th inning was regrettable. Ha-seong Kim continued his hot drive with 5 homers in his 10th game. 

Abbott started the 2023 Major League home game against San Diego held at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on the 3rd (hereinafter Korean time), pitched intensely with 4 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 12 strikeouts and 1 run in 7⅔ innings. He lowered his earned run average to 1.21 in his 6th back break of the season. 메이저놀이터

He threw four pitches evenly: a sweeper (22), a changeup, and a curveball (more than 18), centering on a four-seam fastball (43) with a maximum of 94.1 miles (151.4 km) and an average of 92.7 miles (149.2 km). The 12 strikeouts were a personal record, leading to 25 misses.

‘MLB.com’ said, ‘Abbott is recording 4 wins, an undefeated ERA of 1.21 and a WHIP of 0.88. Since 1912, when the ERA became an official record, only Tom Browning (Boston, 1984-1985, 0.96) has had a lower ERA in his first six starts. In the six games Abbott started, Cincinnati went 6-0.” 

On this day, San Diego batters made a total of 50 swings, and 25 of them broke the air. The number of misses by a rookie pitcher 25 times is tied for 3rd all-time since pitch tracking in 2008. In 2018, Tyler Mahl and Domingo Herman drew 26 missed swings side-by-side, which is the highest record, tied for third with Cincinnati Hunter Green’s 25 on April 30 this year. 

Abbott, who took the mound in the first 8 innings of his debut with such an overwhelming pitch, struck out Nelson Cruz and Trent Grisham in a row to gain momentum. However, the 92.3 mile (148.5 km) four-seam fastball thrown to the next hitter, Kim Ha-seong, became a missed pitch in the middle. The batted ball, which flew quickly with a low trajectory, was stuck outside the left wall.

104 mph exit velocity, 383 feet (116.7 m) distance, 19 degree launch. With Kim Ha-sung’s 10th home run of the season, he has hit 5 home runs in the last 10 games. This one shot was Abbott’s only run in the game that day. Kim Ha-seong also went on base with a walk in the 6th inning, which was Abbott’s only walk. 

‘The Athletic’ highlighted that ‘Ha-seong Kim not only hit a home run to Abbott, but was also the only hitter to get a walk among San Diego batters.’ After the game, Abbott also said, “If all four pitches are in the strike zone, the chance of the opponent guessing and hitting is about 25%. Ha-seong Kim was the only one who got it right, and he had a good swing,” he admitted. 

After hitting a home run by Ha-sung Kim, Abbott was knocked out with 101 pitches. With a 2-1 lead, they met the requirements for a starter, but the victory was blown away when next pitcher Lucas Sims allowed a solo home run to tie the game to Fernando Tatis Jr. 

But Abbott’s pitching left a lasting impression. “Abbott did everything today,” Cincinnati manager David Bell said. He played his best game, pitching long innings. He showed who he is.” “Abbott is pitching like he’s been here a long time,” said Cincinnati catcher Luke Miles, who made the battery. He has the power to throw into the zone when he wants four balls,” he praised.

San Diego coach Bob Melvin also said, “I didn’t throw a 98 mph (157.7 km) fastball, but I threw a better ball than that. The breaking ball had a spinning speed that was difficult to follow. Our hitters were busy following the high ball.”