Guillermo Heredia (SSG, 34), who speaks Spanish, and William Cuevas (KT, 35) clashed over the pitch clock, leading to a bench-clearing incident. The one who rushed to calm Heredia, who was yelling after striking the bat on the ground and drawing a walk, was Kim Gwang-hyun, the SSG ace and 'captain.'

Heredia and Cuevas had a tense standoff in the 1st and 3rd innings. Cuevas stepped off the mound, and Heredia maintained his own routine before stepping up to the plate in response. After hitting a popup against Cuevas in the 1st, Heredia struck the bat on the ground in frustration. He was still unable to contain his anger, yelling as he headed to the dugout.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, KT's starter Cuevas took to the mound to stop SSG's offense. From the dugout, Heredia shouted something loudly towards him. Cuevas looked at Heredia, making a gesture that he couldn't hear well. The two players appeared to be in a mood that would allow for smooth communication without incident, but in the bottom of the 3rd, tensions peaked as the managers of both teams appealed to the umpires.

With a no-ball, two-strike count, a ball was called due to Cuevas' pitch clock violation, and after drawing three consecutive balls, Heredia yelled out. Cuevas, looking at Heredia with a wry smile as he headed to first base, could no longer contain himself and strode purposefully toward Heredia at first.

Players from both teams rushed onto the field to calm the heated Cuevas and Heredia. Overflowing emotions sparked the first bench-clearing incident of the 2025 season.

Heredia did not hold back upon seeing Cuevas approach him. The one who rushed onto the field to prevent a collision was Kim Gwang-hyun, SSG's starting pitcher and 'captain' for the day.

It is quite unusual for a starting pitcher to take the lead in resolving a situation during a bench-clearing incident, especially on a day when tension, sensitivity, and concentration reached a peak. While it is an unspoken agreement for someone to rush onto the field during such an incident, it is also customary for starting pitchers to take a step back unless they are directly involved.

Kim Gwang-hyun, facing a chilly day and a bases-loaded crisis from the 1st inning, had held KT's strong lineup to just one run through the 3rd. He sprinted out without hesitation when the bench-clearing incident occurred, even while preparing to ensure his shoulders did not get cold in the dugout.

Kim Gwang-hyun, who has taken on the role of team captain for the first time since his debut, emphasized the 'weight of leadership' during an interview conducted upon returning home after the spring camp.

Kim Gwang-hyun stressed, "I think that when I become a leader, team performance becomes more important and is how I am evaluated. Individual performance is important, but team performance takes precedence. I hope to improve the team’s performance by managing the morale and condition of the teammates well. That is what a team captain is supposed to do."

Kim Gwang-hyun, the only pitching captain this season, is leading the team while observing the hitters’ training after finishing pitching training. He is putting into action the words he has conveyed.

Has the will of the captain been transmitted to the team? SSG achieved victory in this game with Oh Tae-gon’s walk-off hit, starting the weekend series with two consecutive wins and bringing their season record to 6 wins and 3 losses. Breaking experts' predictions, they are currently sitting in second place in the standings, even in the early part of the season.

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