I had a lot of concerns, but he pitched better than I expected.
Kim Tae-hyoung, manager of the Korea Professional Baseball League's Lotte Giants, expressed his impression of new foreign pitcher Alex Gamboa during his debut appearance. Gamboa, who replaced Charlie Barnes, who left the team due to a left shoulder injury, started as the starting pitcher against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 27th.
Ahead of the game, Kim Tae-hyoung met with the press and said, "Since we've changed the ace (Charlie Barnes), I expect Gamboa to fill that role."
He added, "Regardless of whether he gets hits or not, I will focus on his pitching and game management ability. He won't exceed 90 pitches." Kim Tae-hyoung also stated, "Expectations are high for both him and the team. I hope he pitches as well in the first team as he did in the Futures League."
Gamboa recorded 4⅔ innings, 5 hits allowed, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs. Out of a total of 89 pitches, 60 were strikes. He reached a top speed of 155 km/h and mixed in curveballs, sliders, and changeups. He also allowed a triple steal in the second inning.
Ahead of the game on the 28th, Kim Tae-hyoung noted, "I had a lot of concerns, but he pitched better than I expected. Even when he exceeded 80 pitches, his velocity didn't drop. The ball itself has a lot of power, so it will get even better." Regarding the triple steal allowed in the second inning, he mentioned, "I told him before the game that we might allow a home steal, and I think the player felt that firsthand."
Left-hander Kim Jin-wook, who took over as the third pitcher in the seventh inning, recorded 3 earned runs (3 hits and 2 strikeouts) including a home run over 1 inning. He reached a top speed of 149 km/h. Kim Tae-hyoung laughed and said, "He pitched his best yesterday. I don't understand why he didn't pitch like he knows how."
Meanwhile, Lotte's starting lineup consisted of center fielder Jang Du-seong, second baseman Go Seung-min, designated hitter Víctor Reyes, left fielder Jeon Jun-woo, right fielder Yoon Dong-hee, shortstop Jeon Min-jae, first baseman Na Seung-yeop, third baseman Son Ho-young, and catcher Son Sung-bin. Right-hander Na Gyun-an is set to start. Yoo Kang-nam was excluded from the starting lineup due to symptoms of a bruise.
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