I didn’t know it was a no-hit situation until the 7th inning.
The perfect performance of NC Dinos foreign pitcher Riley Thompson shone. Unfortunately, he could not achieve the dream of a no-hitter, but it was the best pitching of the season.
On the 18th, Riley made his start in the home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Munsoo Stadium in Ulsan, recording 8 innings, 1 hit allowed, 1 walk, 12 Samjin, and no runs. He recorded a no-hit until the 8th inning, but allowed a hit to lead-off batter Jeon Tae-hyun in the 9th inning, which prevented him from achieving the great record.
NC defeated Kiwoom 5-0, finishing the weekend three-game series with 2 wins and 1 loss. NC had an opportunity to score first in the 6th inning, with 1 out after Kwon Hee-dong's walk and Kim Joo-won's single to right field, putting runners on 1st and 3rd base. Park Min-woo hit a triple to left-center, scoring 2 runs initially. Continuing from 1 out and 3rd base, Park Gun-woo's ground ball added another run. NC then gained a chance to load the bases with no outs in the 8th inning following Choi Jae-hwan's infield single, Kim Joo-won's walk, and Park Min-woo's infield single. Although Park Si-won struck out swinging for the first out, Son Ah-seop hit a single to left field, bringing home 2 runners. Park Min-woo led the offense with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 4 at-bats.
After securing his 6th win of the season, Riley said, “I focused more because it was my first time pitching on this mound. At first, I was not satisfied with the fastball balance, but I was able to regain stability soon.”
He added, “I didn’t even know it was a no-hit situation until the 7th inning. I learned about it while discussing the next inning's pitching with the pitching coach. I tried not to think too much and focused on not increasing my pitch count.”
Having narrowly missed the no-hitter achievement, Riley said, “I feel disappointed, but I felt rather comfortable after allowing a hit to the first batter in the 9th inning. Before I was substituted, the pitching coach congratulated me on my best pitching on the mound.”
He expressed his gratitude, saying, “I want to give credit to coach Lee Yong-hoon, who has been attentive and has boosted my confidence every day. I want to do my best in every single game and complete the season. I sincerely thank the fans for congratulating me loudly.”
Meanwhile, manager Lee Ho-jun noted, “Starter Riley led the team to victory with his best pitching. No praise is enough. It was a top performance, and I applauded him.”
He also praised, “The offense relied on the captain Park Min-woo. The game didn’t go well in the early stages, but Park Min-woo resolved it.” Additionally, he mentioned, “The support from fans during the weekend series was the driving force behind our victory. The players have worked hard all week, and we will prepare well for next week's game.”
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