Reunited with loved ones, Kim puts on show

ST. LOUIS -- As Kwang Hyun Kim has carved himself a spot in the hearts of Cardinals fans over first two seasons with the club, he’s done so with an ache in his.

There’s been no homemade kimchi and mackerel prepared by his mother, and he’s taken on the task of cooking Korean meals on his own. He’s listened to his upstairs neighbor’s children stomp on his ceiling while his own remain back home across the globe. He and his translator, Craig Choi, split dish duty.

But for one night, once again, Kim’s world was complete. With his family in tow on Saturday, he put on a show in front of the largest crowd at Busch Stadium this season, tossing six shutout frames in the Cardinals’ 3-1 win over the Giants to extend his scoreless streak to 21 innings across his past four starts.

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It was the first game watching their pops pitch in person in the U.S. for Kim’s two children, joined by Kim’s wife, Sang Hee, his mother-in-law and his agent among the 40,489 at Busch Stadium, capped off by a shoutout on the jumbotron. Their giddy cheers and rabble-rousing have finally replaced the sounds coming from those above his apartment.

“The people who live upstairs, I think they have kids. We could hear a stomping every day,” Kim said. “But since my children are here, they're running up and down, as well. So it’s a good thing I can't hear the stomping anymore.

“It was a very meaningful day for them.”

Emotions aside, it was an impressive night in a vacuum for Kim, blanking the first-place Giants for the second time in as many weeks, helped in part by long balls from Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill before Alex Reyes tied a record with his 23rd consecutive save to start his career. But more impressive were some of the accolades Kim’s night brought about.

He passed Jack Flaherty for the longest scoreless stretch by a Cardinals pitcher this season and moved into third among all-time scoreless streaks by Korean-born pitchers (behind Chan Ho Park at 33 and Hyun Jin Ryu at 31). Kim also took hold of the longest stretch by a left-handed Cardinals starter since John Tudor from 1988 into '90.

“Just a pro outing,” said manager Mike Shildt. “That’s why guys start. … He just knows what he's doing out there, he's got good rhythm, keeps guys engaged, works quick, gets ahead in counts. And when he does that, he's super efficient and allows us to go deep in games and throw up zeros.”

Kim has had to endure stark changes to his life without his family to turn to on a bad day, without his 7-year-old daughter Minjoo and 5-year-old son Minjae to give a goodnight hug. He arrived at Cardinals camp early in January 2020, with a two-year contract in hand. When the pandemic began to take hold in March, he remained in the U.S. while they stayed in South Korea, unable to see them until the season ended in October and he returned home.

He quarantined without them, with Choi as the sole person in his circle he could communicate with in his native tongue. He spent time working out with Adam Wainwright, a liaison to life in the United States. He began to try to cook some of his mother's specialties.

“My mother and I use the same oven,” Kim said, “but for some reason, she makes it way better than I do.”

“Beyond almost comprehension, for me, what he dealt with,” Shildt said.

Nights like Friday have etched Kim into Cardinals lore because of his story, heartfelt as it is. He’s also done so via his ability to pitch, with a 2.45 ERA across 24 career games, and because of his poise, most often subdued, but at times passionate. His teammates appreciate his attitude, his lighthearted stature, his vibe.

And it has some wondering if it might be worth considering locking him up to a deal past 2021.

“I love the St. Louis Cardinals, and I'm sure the fans love me being a Cardinal,” Kim said. “I do want to play in the Major Leagues as a Cardinal for several more years, but it's just contracts, so it’s [on] my agent to do it.”

Regardless of how it shapes up, those around Kim and those watching him will continue to appreciate the Cardinals’ most efficient starter this season. They’ve learned immensely from him about superb pitching just as he’s learned from a family 40,000 strong on Saturday night.

“Wish I spoke better Korean,” Shildt said.