SSG Landers foreign pitcher Drew Anderson met his team’s expectations with double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive games.밤알바
Anderson started the 10th game of the season against the Doosan Bears of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 26th, and pitched six ⅓ innings of five hits (one homer) with one out, 11 strikeouts, and one run, earning his seventh win of the season. He also recorded double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive games following the game against the Munhak Lotte Giants on the 11th and the game against the Munhak Kiwoom Heroes on the 19th.
He pitched 102 pitches (65 strikes and 37 balls), and fastballs (58) were the most common by type of pitch. Curve (28), cutter (13), slider (2), and change-up (1) were the most common. The maximum speed of fastballs was 156 kilometers per hour.
Anderson displayed overwhelming performance by banking on his ball power, which is his strength, from the beginning of the game. From the first hitter Jung Soo-bin in the top of the first inning to the first hitter Park Joon-young in the top of the third inning, he continued to hit seven consecutive batters, and allowed only two on-base hits until the top of the fourth inning, approaching the victory step by step.
He seemed to be shaken by a solo shot by Park Joon-young with one out in the top of the fifth inning, but he met the requirements for a winning pitcher with Lee Yoo-chan’s strikeout and Cho Soo-haeng’s groundout. In the top of the sixth inning, after Jung Soo-bin’s bunt hit, Jeon Min-jae struck out at first base with no outs and Jung Soo-bin failed to steal, raising the mood by catching two out-counts at once.
Anderson continued his cruising by efficiently managing the number of pitches, and Yang Seok-hwan, the leadoff hitter, had a hit and wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning, causing a crisis of second base with no outs. However, he struck out Kim Jae-hwan and handed over the mound to Noh Kyung-eun with one out to complete his mission.
Anderson entered the KBO League on April 27 by signing an annual salary of $570,000 with SSG. SSG, which had been troubled by Robert Duggar’s poor performance at the beginning of the season, has recruited Anderson by comprehensively considering Anderson’s excellent physical conditions, fastball pitching and various crystal balls.
Anderson pitched in six innings for the first time in four games since his debut in the KBO League after entering Korea. However, he showed ups and downs in five games, 24 ⅔ innings in June with three wins and an ERA of 4.01. For SSG, Anderson’s good pitching was a prerequisite.
Anderson became a completely different pitcher as he entered the second half of the season. He became the winning pitcher with two hits, two outs and 10 strikeouts (non- earned run) during six ⅔ innings against the Munhak Lotte Giants on Wednesday last week, and displayed a near-perfect pitching by allowing two hits (one homer) and 11 strikeouts and three runs during six innings against the Munhak Kiwoom Heroes on Sunday. As he continued his strides through Sunday’s game, he garnered three wins in July alone.
The coach also expressed satisfaction. “Anderson threw a good mix of fastballs and curves, displaying good pitching by aggressive pitching,” SSG coach Lee Soo-yong said after the game. “He played a big role in our team’s losing streak by recording quality starts in three consecutive games.”