Kiwoom Heroes foreign pitcher Ian McKinney struggled with the most walks in a single game since his KBO debut.먹튀검증

McKinney started the 10th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, and allowed four runs on five hits (one home run) and six walks with three strikeouts in five innings. While McKinney did what he was supposed to do as a starter by going five innings, he did get himself into trouble by walking too many batters.

McKinney, in particular, had to battle the heat as well as the batters on the mound, as he was seen sweating throughout the game. Considering that McKinney is a foreign athlete who has only recently arrived in Korea, it’s understandable that he would struggle with the weather.

With the recent heat wave that has been raging across the country, not only foreign players but also Korean players are having a tough time physically, so how did Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki see McKinney’s pitching from the dugout?

Before the 11th game of the season against the LG Twins on the 2nd, manager Hong Won-ki said, “McKinney should be at his best in his current form, but he has a very sweaty constitution. Even when we play at the Gocheok Sky Dome, his clothes get wet.” “For the one-day game, I think he was especially affected by the weather and playing outdoors,” he reflected.

In particular, McKinney has played six games since his KBO debut, four of them at home and two away at Jamsil, meaning he hasn’t had to deal with the effects of the heat. Although the sample size is small, McKinney’s performance at home (4 games, 21 innings, 1 win, 2 losses, 3.43 ERA) has been more consistent than on the road (2 games, 11 innings, 2 losses, 4.91 ERA).

However, Hong Won-ki said, “McKinney was not a player who had a distinct advantage against pitches even when he was playing in the independent league, so I don’t think it’s necessarily the cause of his poor performance.” In Hong’s opinion, the cause of the slump cannot be determined by the weather.