Eric Lauer (29, KIA) seems to be opening his eyes in earnest ahead of the fall baseball season.
Lauer started the game against Lotte at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 12th and pitched six innings with one hit, one walk, and nine strikeouts, leading KIA to a 10-0 complete victory.
He threw 78 pitches, including a maximum 149km/h fastball (46) and slider (18), plus curves (9), and cutters (5). Lauer, who allowed his first hit by giving up a walk to Ko Seung-min after one out in the top of the fourth inning, threw six perfect innings without getting anyone on base except him.
KIA, which took the lead early by adding Kim Do-young’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning, Lee Chang-jin’s two-run double in the bottom of the second inning and Park Chan-ho’s timely hit, replaced the pitcher in the top of the seventh inning when it led 7-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning. Although Lauer had only 78 pitches, KIA, which had been without a game for three days until the 11th, finished Lauer’s pitches early and operated a bullpen that was sufficiently rested.
Lauer signed with KIA as a substitute when Cam Aldred, who was a substitute for the injured Will Crow, was sluggish and joined in early August. He made his KBO League debut against Samsung in Daegu on August 11, but remained 1-3 in four games, becoming one of KIA’s concerns to go straight to the Korean Series. 메이저사이트
However, the game has completely changed since the game against Hanwha on the 5th. Lauer, who had high expectations for his stellar career with 36 wins in the Major League, struggled a lot with his early appearance that fell short of him, but on the game against Hanwha on the 5th, he changed the frame and combined his own balls to give an autograph to the catcher to solve the game.
Lauer, who pitched 6.1 innings of five hits and three runs, pitched more than six innings for the first time since joining Kia, and pitched more than six innings (more than six innings and three earned runs or fewer), pitched a clean sheet of five innings and pitched a clean sheet to score no runs on the day. Lauer also mixed the balls himself on the day. “I will continue to do it myself as the result is good,” Lauer said.
“If the bullpen doesn’t pitch today, we can take five days off, so we replaced Lauer at a slightly earlier pitch to manage our condition,” manager Lee Bum-ho said. “Lauer seems to be showing his skills by pitching well for two consecutive games following the last game. His fastballs and sliders were outstanding.”
Lauer should be responsible for one of Kia’s fall baseball pillars. When injured James Nail returns, he will have to take charge of one of the starting trio along with Yang Hyun-jong, and if Nail fails to return, Lauer’s share will be even greater. With 11 games to go before the end of the regular season, Lauer has the hang of it.
“I think we’ve taken a step forward in the future. I think we’ve moved forward from the last game,” Lauer said. “I think we’re still in the post-season mode. However, I think I’m almost done once the team has confirmed its No. 1 ranking. It’s just a few days away.”