Submarine Pitcher Kim Winning Again

The “Korean nuclear submarine,” Kim Byung-hyun (age: 27, Colorado) is in the midst of a transformation.

Kim pitched seven and 2/3 innings and allowed only one run during a home game against San Diego on July 29 in what was his most solid game since his debut in 1999.

After just five days, in a home game against Milwaukee, Kim broke his short-lived record and threw eight innings to secure his seventh win (he has six losses). During eight innings he did not give away a single walk on balls. He gave away seven hits and only one run. It was all the more memorable because he beat Tomo Ohka (30), a Japanese player who was involved in a fistfight with Kim Sun-woo (Colorado).

Kim earned five of his seven wins at the Coors Field Stadium, a stadium dubbed as the pitchers’ graveyard. His earned run average (ERA) is 4.57, but his ERA at Coors Field is only 2.75. This beats Denny Stark’s record of the lowest ERA at Coors Field of 3.21 achieved in 2002.

The Colorado batting line-up overcame its slump to score four runs in the first inning. Kim himself got a hit in the second inning.

Kim threw a hitless game until the seventh, but gave away the only run to Tony Gwynn Jr. in the eighth. Colorado won 8-2.

Meanwhile, Park Chan-ho (age: 33, San Diego), who is on the disabled list suffering from stomach pains and anemia, is due to receive a blood transfusion on August 4.

Team Trainer Todd Hutchinson said, “He has gotten better, but is still in poor condition. His intestinal bleeding has stopped, but we do not know the cause of this symptom.”