Kim Byung-Hyun Threw Fourth Victory

Now, all he throws become `the record`.

` Submarine Made-in-Korea ` Kim Byung-Hyun (22, Arizona Diamondbacks) earned his fourth victory (3 losses and 13 saves) in game with Philadelphia Philies yesterday.

He played 62 games this year which are the most games in his career, and recorded no run for 24 and 1/3 innings in last 18 games. Picking up 4 strikeouts in this game, he captured 108 strikeouts in total for this season, 3 strikeouts behind his own record (111). He currently achieved 17 Save Points (SP), and it is only a matter of time before he passes 20 SP which was his last season record.

Kim Byung-Hyun took the mound in the bottom of ninth tying 3-3. Although it was his third consecutive outing, his stuff was formidable as ever. He stroke out two strong hitters Travis Lee and Doug Glanville, and captured Thomas Perez with a line-up to the second baseman.

In the top of tenth, Reggie Sanders hit a solo homer to win the game. Encouraged by this homer, Kim stroke out Todd Pratt, and retreated Felipe Crespo with a fly ball to the left fielder. Although he allowed a double to Jimmy Rollins, he stroke out Marlon Anderson to finish the game.

Kim lowered his ERA from 2.76 to 2.69, and recorded his 250 career strikeouts only 178 and 1/3 innings since his ML debut.

Choi Hee-Seop (22), playing for the Iowa Cups which is the triple A team of Chicago Cups, showed good performance hitting home runs in two straight games. Thus, he is expected to advance to the Major League in September for the first time as a Korean hitter.

Meanwhile, Kim Sun-Woo (24, Boston Redsox) was sent to the minor league. Boston Redsox included in the 25 entry Pedro Martinez who had been in the disabled list, and instead sent Kim to a single A team Sarasota Redsox. But Kim will for sure return to the major league on September 2nd when the entry will be expanded to 40.

Zang Hwan-Soo zangpabo@donga.com