LG opponent QS → First win of the season, Anderson, who thanked his teammates,
LG opponent QS → First win of the season, Anderson, who thanked his teammates,
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SSG Landers foreign pitcher Drew Anderson reported his first win of the season in five games with his ball power, his strength.메이저놀이터
Anderson started the season's third game against the LG Twins in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Tuesday, and allowed four hits (one homer), two strikeouts and eight strikeouts in six ⅔ innings. He pitched 112 pitches, which were the most in fastballs (53). Change-ups (26), curves (20), cutters (nine) and sliders (four) followed, with a maximum speed of 158 km/h in fastballs.
Anderson performed smoothly. He shut out the top of the first inning with three outs and continued his scoreless streak through the top of the third inning. On top of that, his batters scored in three consecutive innings from the bottom of the first inning to lead the game to 5-0.
Anderson had hits by Moon Sung-joo and Kim Hyun-soo in the top of the fourth inning, before hitting a three-run homer by Austin Dean, a follow-up hitter. However, he ended the inning without allowing additional runs, and ended the inning with three outs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings.
Anderson also took the mound in the top of the seventh inning. After Oh Ji-hwan's strikeout and Koo Bon-hyuk's fly ball to the second base, Lee Joo-hun and Moon Bo-kyung were allowed to throw balls and walk, respectively, and handed over the mound to Kim with two outs and runners on the first and second bases. As Kim struck out against Park Dong-won, Anderson's loss did not increase, and the game ended with SSG's 9-3 victory.
"I personally feel good about winning my first game of the season, but I'm so happy to break the team's losing streak," Anderson said after the game. "I was able to win because the batters helped me well, and I think it was a victory made by the whole team."
On this day, Anderson recorded the highest number of pitches in a single game since his KBO League debut. The previous highest number of pitches in a single individual game was 102 (against Munhak Doosan Bears on July 26 last year and Munhak Lotte Giants on August 1st).
Anderson said, "No problem. A starting pitcher can't throw all the innings. I have confidence that Kim Min and Cho Byung-hyun or our team's bullpen pitchers will protect us," adding, "That's why I can go down in a good mood without any pressure. I'm always grateful."
Anderson joined SSG as a substitute for Robert Duggar early last season, and he has garnered seven wins in the second half alone, helping his team compete in the semifinals. Anderson's final performance in the 2024 season is 11-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 24 games and 115 ⅔ innings.
Anderson, who is in his second year in the KBO League this year, suffered a slump with a 7.27 ERA in eight ⅔ innings in two starts in March. Since then, he has been away for a while for maternity leave, and in three starts in April after returning to his team, he has completely changed to 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 18 ⅔ innings.
Anderson's strengths are more evident as the power of the fastball has revived. Anderson only struck out four and six in the match against the Munhak Doosan Bears on the 22nd and the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 28th, respectively, but he struck out a lot from the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 9th to the Munhak Hanwha Eagles on the 15th, and the LG on the 20th.
The coach also expressed satisfaction. "Anderson pitched well except for one homer, and pitched more than six innings," SSG coach Lee Soo-yong said. "He must have felt pressured as his team is losing consecutive games, but he displayed his fighting spirit by recording the highest number of pitches. He displayed good pitching in three consecutive games after maternity leave. Congratulations on your first win of this season."
"Thank you so much for your fans' support. I was able to win the game thanks to your loud cheering voice even during the losing streak," Anderson said, adding, "I will continue to show good performances."