Foreign left-handed pitcher Alex Gamboa (28) of the Lotte Giants led the team's three-game winning streak with his heavy fastball.
Gamboa started the game against the SSG Landers in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 14th, recording a victory with 6 innings pitched, 7 hits allowed, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.
In the bottom of the first inning, after allowing the leadoff batter Choi Ji-hoon to reach on a bunt single, Gamboa struck out Kim Sung-wook for the second out. Guillermo Heredia was caught on a fly out to right field, and Ko Myung-jun was retired on a ground ball back to the pitcher to end the inning. In the second inning, with the Lotte leading 1-0, he allowed a hit to the leadoff batter Park Seong-han but struck out Oh Tae-gon and induced Jo Hyeong-woo to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
In the third inning, Gamboa retired the leadoff batter Gam Chan-hyung with a strikeout on three pitches but allowed a hit to Seok Jeong-woo. However, he managed to strike out Choi Ji-hoon. Facing a two-out, two on situation due to a wild pitch, Gamboa retired Kim Sung-wook on a fly out to center field to avoid any runs. However, in the fourth inning, he gave up consecutive hits to the leadoff batters Heredia and Ko Myung-jun, putting runners on second and third with one out due to a ground out by Park Seong-han. Eventually, he allowed a sacrifice fly to Oh Tae-gon, tying the game at 1-1. The crisis continued as he issued a walk to Jo Hyeong-woo, but he induced Kim Chan-hyung into a ground ball to the shortstop to escape the threat.
Gamboa created the first three-batter inning of the day in the fifth. With Lotte leading 2-1 in the sixth, he allowed a double to Ko Myung-jun and a hit to Park Seong-han, putting runners on second and third with one out. However, he retired Oh Tae-gon on a ground ball to the catcher and struck out Jo Hyeong-woo, escaping the danger. The final fastball struck out Jo Hyeong-woo, reaching a speed of 156 km/h.
Gamboa threw 99 pitches and handed the mound over to Choi Jun-Yong in the seventh, with Lotte leading 2-1, marking the end of his appearance. He used 57 fastballs, 28 sliders, 9 change-ups, and 5 curves. His fastball reached a top speed of 156 km/h, with a strike rate of 66.7%, which was high. Gamboa achieved good results by aggressively challenging the SSG batters with his powerful fastball. With Lotte winning 4-2, Gamboa also secured his third victory of the season.
Gamboa came to Korea this year as a replacement foreign player for left-handed ace Charlie Barnes, who won 35 games over four seasons with Lotte. There were concerns about whether Gamboa could perform well enough to match Barnes's long-lasting contributions, but he is showing signs of quickly adapting to the KBO League. This season, he has recorded 3 wins and 1 loss with a 2.59 earned run average over 4 games (24 ⅓ innings).
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyoung, in an interview before the game, emphasized Gamboa's strengths when asked about them, saying, "First of all, his velocity is good. He is winning against batters with his speed, so that's his greatest strength. I'm not quite sure about game management yet. But overall, he is throwing strikes and winning against batters with his velocity, so that's his strength, isn't it?"
In a post-game interview, Gamboa expressed, "Today's victory is a result of the team coming together as one. The hitters scored when we needed them, and the bullpen protected the win. During critical moments, I communicated a lot with the catcher and aimed to remain calm while facing hitters rather than worrying about the runners on base, which I believe led to a good result."
"Seeing Lotte Giants fans filling the stadium both at home and on the road gives me great strength," Gamboa said. "I am personally very grateful to be able to play baseball in an environment where I receive such support. I will do my best to prepare for my appearances for the fans who come to see us and show my best self on the mound as we continue through the remaining season."
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