Is this a ball? The commentator is impressed, the pitcher is devastated… That’s how the outcome turned out.

The tide turned in a split second.

The game between the KIA Tigers and the LG Twins at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on June 26. In the top of the third inning, down 0-1 and facing LG’s Oh Ji-hwan, Kia’s Adonis Medina opted for a slider that curved outside on a full count. As the ball crossed home plate, both Shin and Medina anticipated a strikeout call, but the umpire’s안전놀이터 hand didn’t go up. Medina remained on his heels, expressing his disappointment and smiling bittersweetly.

Commentator Park Yong-taek, who participated in the TV broadcast, said, “It was ruled a ball, but if it becomes a pitch, the left-hander has no choice but to keep watching,” and explained, “The pitch tunnel is a ball at the beginning, so the batter is not ready for the bat to go out, and the ball comes inside.”

◇Photo source=KBSN Sports broadcast screen
A shaken Medina then faced Austin Dean, who had given up a leadoff single, and allowed him to advance on a wild pitch, followed by a two-run double over the left field fence for his third run. He faced Hyun-Soo Kim, and his pitch count increased. After giving up another run in the fourth, Medina worked into the fifth, but was already approaching the 100-pitch limit. Medina returned to the mound in the sixth and threw his highest pitch count of the season, but it wasn’t enough. In six innings, he gave up four runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts and a total pitch count of 110.

KIA was forced to utilize all of its bullpen resources on bullpen day against Hanwha in Daejeon on the 25th, as starter Lee Yi-ri was automatically ejected with one out in the top of the second inning for a head shot. With all of its bullpen pitchers on the mound except for closer Jung Hae-young, the team recalled Kim Ki-hoon from the first team and called up Kim Yoo-shin from the Futures (second) team ahead of the game against LG. “I want Medina to pitch as many innings as possible,” KIA manager Kim Jong-guk said before the game. Medina threw more than 100 pitches and gave his all on the mound for his tired team, but it was one of those nights where one moment sticks in your mind.