[MyDaily = Gwangju reporter Kim Jin-seong] As expected, KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho looks out for his players.
Right-hander Hwang Dong-ha (24) produced the best outing of his young career. On May 2 in Gwangju against the KT Wiz, he threw seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out eight to earn his second win (and second hold) of the season. Hwang had shown promise on April 26 in Gwangju against the Lotte Giants as well, going four innings, giving up five hits, striking out three, issuing one walk and allowing two runs. That earlier strong outing felt like a preview of this performance.
Hwang mixed a four-seam fastball that peaked at 147 km/h (about 91 mph) with a slider, forkball and curve. Just two to three years ago, the seventh-round pick was topping out in the low 140s. Through relentless work he’s added velocity, developed new offerings and increased the effectiveness of his pitches to reach this level.
Hwang didn’t begin the season as a traditional starter. Lee named second-year right-hander Kim Tae-hyung the No. 5 starter and assigned Hwang a “starter +1” role — essentially the long-inning swingman who follows directly behind Kim or another starter.
Kim grabbed headlines after boosting his fastball over 150 km/h, learning a slurve from Adam Oller and even adding a kick-change in the offseason. Hwang has made starts before, too. The +1 role isn’t an easy sell — it looks like starting but disrupts a starter’s usual routine, making it a tricky assignment to handle consistently.
Lee repeatedly stressed that the +1 assignment wasn’t a reflection of Hwang being inferior to Kim. Rather, Hwang had more experience in that hybrid role. In practice, Hwang has moved between starting, middle relief and long relief, while Kim’s bullpen experience is more limited.
When Kim struggled over the first four games after the opener, Lee swapped their duties. He promoted Hwang — who had quietly served the club as a swingman — to the No. 5 starter spot and gave Kim the +1 role, framing it as an opportunity for growth. The move was also a way to reassure Hwang.
Hwang delivered that night. One notable detail: he had thrown just 77 pitches through six innings. The offense then erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth, stretching the lead to 6-0. Hwang’s previous single-game high for innings was six, set on Aug. 8, 2024, against KT in Gwangju.
Lee might not recall that exact date, but he surely knew — by experience and feel — that Hwang had never pitched a seventh inning in a game. Hwang allowed a leadoff hit in the seventh, then induced a shortstop-started double play on Kim Hyun-soo.
Singles by Jang Seong-woo and Sam Hilliard followed, and Hwang’s pitch count climbed to exactly 93. The team could have pulled him there — several relievers, including Kim, were already warming up — and Hwang’s stuff did look a touch diminished, which is understandable.
Still, pitching coach Lee Dong-geol came out to the mound empty-handed. It was a visit to encourage, not to make a change. Manager Lee gave Hwang one more chance. Had the game been tighter, he would have pulled him immediately. With a six-run cushion, Lee appeared to give Hwang the courtesy of completing his first seven-inning outing. Many managers in the past likely would have removed him at the start of the seventh.
Lee has always been strong on communication. Last season’s slump did dent his leadership reputation, it’s true, but he remains a manager with clear strengths — and this aspect continues to earn him praise.
catcher Kim Tae-gun said, “We told him that a win here would help him take the next step, and the manager and coaches had no intention of making a change.” Hwang added, “I really wanted to pitch seven innings. I knew that doing so would be a step forward… I kept thinking, ‘Please let me go out one more time.’”
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