NC Triple Crown ace who found laughter by saying “I ride my bike home from work”
NC Dinos is the team with the strongest pitcher in the league this year, Eric Peddy. A card that can be confidently displayed in short-term matches, no matter who the opponent is. The existence of such a special ace becomes even more meaningful in short-term matches.
The direction of the series may change depending on when Peddie, who skipped the wild card game and prepared for the semi-playoffs, is sent out or when he can be sent out.
NC and SSG Landers will begin the semi-playoff schedule for the '2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason' at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 22nd. The starting pitchers and 30 players will be revealed on the 21st before the first game. NC, which finished the wild card match in the first game, plans to use Peddie again from the semi-playoffs. However, the timing is unclear. It could be the first game on the 22nd, but it is also possible that it could be after that.
Peddie started the game against the KIA Tigers on the 16th and recorded 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, and no runs in 5⅔ innings before being replaced after being hit by a batted ball. He has already achieved 20 wins (6 losses) and 200 strikeouts against Hanwha on October 10, making him a strong candidate for MVP this season. However, in the game on the 16th, when he pitched for the team rather than for his personal performance, he ended up injuring his right arm.
Ko Jong-wook's hard hit hit Fedi's right arm. Pedi, who collapsed, was immediately replaced and taken to the hospital. The hospital examination result was a simple bruise. Thanks to him he was able to prepare for the semi-playoffs. As if to show that his simple exercise was no problem, he rode his bike home on the 19th.
NC's input of Peddie into the game on the 16th was a bid to take third place. They thought they could keep 3rd place if they win the last two games against KIA, so they pulled out the ace card, but Peddie was injured and they lost the game 2-4. As he ranked 4th in the final rankings, Tanner Turley was scheduled to pitch in the first game, and Song Myung-ki was scheduled to pitch in the second game.
In fact, even if it were not for the injury, appearing in the second game of the wild card decision was not easy. He had to play in the second game after resting only three days after the game on the 16th. NC won the first game 14-9 on the 19th and passed the first stage without Pedi.
At a press conference after the wild card game on the 19th, Coach Kang In-kwon said of Peddie's condition, "It seems like he is recovering little by little each day. He is in a little better condition today than yesterday. After training tomorrow and watching his condition one more time, we will decide when he will pitch. “I think I’ll have to decide then. I think it’s too early to talk about it now.”
Along with the positive news, there was a cautious attitude that a return date could not be determined yet. Peddie was with the team for the game on the 19th. As he always did, when he hit a home run, he took a commemorative photo with a bright expression with his Polaroid camera. However, it is difficult to guess the condition based on this alone. Considering Coach Kang In-kwon's remarks, it can be said that there was no clear signal that 'Pedi will take charge of the first round of the semi-playoffs'.
Since Tanner took the mound in the wild card game, a domestic starting pitcher should serve as NC's plan B without Pedi. Song Myung-ki, who was designated as the starter for the second game of the wild card decision, and Shin Min-hyuk, who pitched 5 scoreless innings in the final game of the regular season, are strong candidates.
Song Myung-ki appeared in 35 games this year, switching between starting and bullpen positions. His final two games of the regular season saw him go 7 innings, allowing only 5 runs, 4 earned, with 7 hits (2 home runs), 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts. One of these games was against SSG on the 8th (4⅓ innings, 3 runs, 2 earned runs). I rested for 6 days since my last appearance.
Shin Min-hyuk recorded 5 scoreless innings against KIA on the 17th, lowering his ERA from 4 to 3.98. Like Song Myung-ki, he was in charge of both starting and bullpen duties. In his first three games out of four in October, he performed poorly, allowing 11 hits (1 home run) and 10 runs in 9⅓ innings, but achieved a dramatic rebound in his best match of the regular season. If he takes charge of the first game on the 22nd, he will pitch after four days of rest.
Meanwhile, Tanner, who was the starting pitcher in the first game of NC's wild card decision, struggled against the Doosan lineup on the 19th, allowing 7 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, and 5 runs in 4 innings. Although he did not allow a large number of runs in one inning, he consistently scored runs from the first to the third inning. In the 5th inning, he was replaced at 1st and 2nd base with no outs, and both successor runners hit home, increasing the earned run total to 5 points.
Tanner was a ‘calculating’ pitcher who achieved quality starts in 8 out of 11 games in the regular season. His first postseason game was shaky. NC's challenge can only be prolonged if he returns as a player to support Peddie.