Doosan Bears foreign pitcher Cole Irvin (31) showcased his strength with a no-hitter performance through five innings in his first-team return match. He suffered a loss due to lack of support from the lineup, but it was a pitching that signaled a rebound.
Irvin started against Hanwha on the 10th, completing a quality start with 6 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. Doosan lost 2-6, but he dominated the Hanwha lineup with a no-hitter through five innings.
After throwing a dreadful performance with 7 hits, 5 walks, 1 hit-by-pitch, 2 strikeouts, and 7 earned runs in 4⅔ innings against KT on the 29th of last month, Irvin was removed from the first-team roster. Amid various controversies, it seemed like the pitcher with 28 wins in Major League Baseball was fading, but he found a clue for a rebound after being removed from the first-team roster.
On the 4th, Irvin threw 30 pitches during live pitching at Jamsil Stadium, checking his in-game pitching feel, and he displayed excellent condition in his return match after 12 days. He faced Hanwha's leadoff hitter Ahn Chi-hong, engaging in a 10-pitch battle, but after catching a pop-up in center field, Irvin also dealt with Ha Ju-suk, who was retired on a full count groundout to left field. He then induced Moon Hyun-bin to hit into a ground ball to third base, throwing 20 pitches, but began the inning with a three-up, three-down.
In the 2nd inning, he raised his momentum with a 'KKK' inning. After striking out Roh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-seong in succession with curves, he retired Lee Jin-young with three strikes. He began with a strike on the first pitch and quickly engaged with consecutive fastballs on the 2nd and 3rd pitches. His command that brushed the inner border was impressive.
In the 3rd inning, after getting Lee Won-seok and Lee Jae-won out with consecutive ground balls to third base, he turned Hwang Young-mook into a looking strikeout. After striking out with a fastball on the 4th pitch, Irvin retired the side with 11 pitches. He continued strong in the 4th, striking out Ahn Chi-hong with three consecutive curves after a ball on the first pitch. He followed up by forcing Ha Ju-suk into a pop-up to shortstop and Moon Hyun-bin into a ground ball to second base, completing another three-up, three-down.
In the 5th inning, he continued his perfect run by inducing the first batter Roh Si-hwan into a ground ball to first base, but after throwing three consecutive balls to Chae Eun-seong, the fourth pitch hit him in the backside. This was the moment his perfect game was broken. Doosan's pitching coach Kim Ji-yong immediately came to the mound to interrupt the flow, and Irvin induced Lee Jin-young into a ground ball to shortstop. He ended the inning with a 6-4-3 double play while maintaining his no-hitter streak.
However, in the 6th inning, he allowed a hit to Lee Won-seok on an outside fastball, breaking the no-hitter. After allowing a sacrifice bunt by Lee Jae-won, Irvin found himself in a jam with one out and a runner on third after a wild pitch on the first curve. Hwang Young-mook's hit deflected off Irvin's foot, and the second baseman, Lee Sun-woo, dove to make the catch but his throw to first was offline. In the meantime, the runner from third, Lee Won-seok, scored, allowing the first run. Even if the throw had been accurate, Hwang Young-mook had enough time, so it was recorded as an infield single.
However, at the next batter Ahn Chi-hong's plate, Irvin threw a pick-off to first base, leading to Hwang Young-mook's unsuccessful steal. Irvin then struck out Ahn Chi-hong with a low curve to finish the inning without giving up any more runs.
In the 7th inning, Irvin handed the mound over to Ko Hyo-jun, finishing with a total of 81 pitches. He showcased stability using a fastball averaging 148 km/h and topping out at 154 km/h, with 34 fastballs, 25 curves, 15 sweepers, 6 change-ups, and 1 slider. Although he had one pitch that hit a batter, he did not issue any walks, and his ability to locate pitches throughout the strike zone was remarkable.
After Irvin exited following the 6th inning, the game tilted heavily in favor of Hanwha. Doosan activated the bullpen starting in the 7th inning, but due to defensive errors, they allowed a big inning with 5 runs. With a loss of 2-6, Doosan fell into a three-game losing streak, remaining in 9th place with a record of 25 wins, 37 losses, and 3 ties (winning percentage .403).
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