Bears manager gives ace vote of confidence ahead of key postseason start

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Bears manager Kim Won-hyong expressed confidence in his ace right-hander Gwak Been ahead of a key South Korean baseball postseason start Wednesday, saying the pitcher's checkered history in big games is a thing of the past.

Gwak enjoyed his best regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this year, leading all pitchers with a 2.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts. He also pitched South Korea to the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, allowing just one run in 12 1/3 innings and striking out 19 across two outings.

Gwak was set to start the wild card game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Wednesday, with the Bears needing a win to stay alive and force another game Thursday. The Twins will move on to the next round with a win or a tie.

Gwak has a 0-3 record with a 7.58 ERA in six previous postseason outings, but Kim insisted the 27-year-old is a much different pitcher now.

"Whatever he did is in the past. The important thing is he was already a far different pitcher during the regular season," Kim said in his pregame media availability. "I am optimistic he will pitch well today. He pitched in some high-pressure games at the Asian Games, and I think it will help him mentally tonight. I also think he has put his past struggles in big games behind him."

Thanks to the combination of Gwak's presence on the mound and the Twins' loss of key players to injuries, some pundits have predicted the Bears will grab the wild card.

"Those people should do a better job crunching numbers. The Twins have a built-in advantage, and I don't think we are in an advantageous spot at all," Kim said with a smile. "But I also don't mind those projections. I think they see that we are on a bit of a roll now."

Gwak's counterpart will be former major leaguer Carlos Carrasco, who threw seven perfect innings against the Bears in his KBO debut in August. Kim said his batters will do a much better job this time around against the right-hander.

"I guess Carrasco will make his pitches, but our batters have been swinging the bat well since the late part of the regular season," Kim said. "If a handful of our guys can find their stroke today, I think we have a good chance."