'Disappointed 7-run collapse shock' It should not be forgotten that the No. 1 team replacement card is alive
Jul 31, 2024
|
KIA Tigers foreign pitcher Cam Aldred pitched the worst pitch since entering the KBO League. Aldred became a losing pitcher against the Doosan Bears in Gwangju on the 30th as he played his most runs in four ⅓ innings with eight hits (one home run), four strikeouts, one walk and seven runs.
Doosan, the opponent team, was also in a losing streak. But Aldred struggled from the first inning. He allowed a walk in the match against leadoff hitter Lee Yoo-chan, and later grabbed two outs and was hit by Yang Seok-hwan, the fourth batter, as his 146km fastball became a high error.
I was nervous from the start. He also allowed consecutive hits in the second inning. Doosan hitters actively played against fastballs and breaking balls, resulting in results. Aldred allowed Huh Kyung-min and Kim Jae-ho to hit consecutive times, allowing Kim Ki-yeon, the eighth hitter, to double to left-center in a crisis with no outs and runners on the first and second bases. After a 144km high fastball, the 124km change-up match was caught in the opponent's attempt.
Four runs until the second inning. On top of that, he allowed a timely hit to Heo Kyung-min with two outs and a runner on second base in the third inning, allowing his fifth run. When Aldred allowed many runs from the beginning, KIA started with a subdued atmosphere.
|
Aldred's poor pitching at this point makes the club in deep agony. Aldred is still a real replacement. Due to Will Crow's injury, Aldred was signed as an injury replacement. However, Crowe's injury is huge, so he has a contract period with Aldred until November as a safety device.
Therefore, when Aldred's contract terms were revealed, there was a controversy over the trick, but KBO clearly interpreted it as 'not a trick'.
However, Kia has to finish all its decisions by August 15 anyway. There are two options. Either keep accompanying Aldred and hope for a second-half rebound, or bring in a full replacement to replace Crowe before August 15. KIA still has both replacement cards alive.
|
In addition, James Nail, who played the role of 'Ace' in the first half, is sluggish. As the ball power has dropped significantly, it has not shown the power of the first half at all. The percentage of games lost in large numbers is also increasing. It was a concern because he only played in the bullpen recently, but the club is also considering the timing of the break.
In this situation, if Aldred is unstable, it will be difficult to calculate the starting lineup for KIA, which is aiming to win this year. Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-chul are out due to injuries, and it is still too much to give Hwang Dong-ha a heavy task. In the end, Yang Hyun-jong and two foreign pitchers should play key roles, but looking at the recent pitches of Nail and Aldred, only the bullpen overload is growing.
The question is how good a pitcher can be brought right away. There is not much time left to decide. Can we put together the final selection puzzle for the championship.
youll@sportschosun.com
