New Kia Tigers pitcher Eric Lauer had a favorable debut.
Lauer made his first start against the Samsung Lions at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Nov. 11, but left after three and a third innings after allowing four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, and four walks on 75 pitches. His fastball topped out at 151 mph and 50 of his 75 pitches were strikes.
Lauer, who took the mound in front of 25,000 fans at Champions Field, got off to a fresh start in the top of the first inning with a triple play against Samsung’s three batters. He needed just 12 pitches to get out of the inning.
After a six-pitch battle with top hitter Kim Ji-chan, Lauer hit a 140-kilometer cutter over center field. It was a well-timed shot, but it was caught by the center fielder fielding to his left. Three pitches later, Kim struck out Heon-gon Kim again with a cutter, and Koo hit a 122-kilometer slow curveball to the outfield. The fastball was clocked at 149 kilometers in the first inning and 152 kilometers on the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the first inning, the KIA bats came alive.
Top hitter Park Chan-ho, who returned from maternity leave, opened the inning with a single to center field. With two outs, Na Sung-beom pulled a high cutter from Samsung starter Reyes for a clothesline hit over the right-center field fence. Koo Ja-rook chased it down and gave it up. It was a leadoff double.
Kia made it 3-0 when Socrates singled to right, advanced to third on a throwing error by the right fielder, and scored on Kim Sun-bin’s RBI single to center.
However, Lauer’s tips on the cutter, his primary weapon, could not be ignored as three Samsung batters reached base in the first inning.
In the bottom of the second, leadoff hitter Kang Min-ho worked a full count and pulled a nine-pitch 141-kilometer high cutter over the left-field fence. His 16th solo shot of the season. Kim struck out Kim Young-woong on a cutter but walked Lee Jae-hyun to load the bases. Lee stole second on a wild pitch and Park Byung-ho hit a 139-kilometer cutter to center field. A timely double. Ryu Ji-hyeok grounded out to first, 사설 토토사이트 but Lee Sung-gyu’s misplayed throw to second was caught between second baseman and right fielder to tie the game at 3-3. Kim Ji-chan singled to shortstop and a throwing error put runners at first and third. Kim was thrown out at first base on an illegal pitch on video review to end the long inning.
In the second inning alone, he threw 37 pitches and his pitch count soared to 49.
In the third, he struck out the leadoff batter, Kim Ji-chan, on a 146-kilometer fastball. He gave up an infield single to Koo Ja-rook, who hit a pitch off the side of the pitcher’s head in front of the shortstop. A throwing error put runners on first and second. Kang Min-ho, who had homered in his previous at-bat, grounded out to third on a 139-kilometer changeup, and Kim Young-woong grounded out to the outfield on a fastball to end the inning. He threw 62 pitches.
In the top of the fourth, he struck out Lee Jae-hyun with a 150-kilometer high fastball. But he gave up a 134-kilometer cutter to Park Byung-ho for a big solo shot to left-center.
And gave up a big solo shot to Park to make it 3-4. He was mentally shaken. After giving up a double to Ryu Ji-hyuk in right field, Lauer walked Lee Sung-gyu on a fastball and left the mound with runners on first and second.
Lauer threw 75 pitches, losing his composure before reaching his planned 80-90 pitches.
He threw 28 fastballs in the low 144s and high 151s, 32 cutters in the 132-142s, nine curveballs in the 120-124s, and one slider.
He had a relatively consistent arsenal of pitches, but they weren’t overpowering pitches. His reliance on the cutter, rather than using the curveball as his primary weapon, allowed him to take advantage of first-time Samsung hitters.
The anomaly of looking at home plate and throwing to first base was intimidating. However, the slide step itself was not a fast pitcher. There were also questions about his ability to strand runners on second base with the bases loaded.
Before the game, Samsung manager Park Jin-man said, “His fastball wasn’t as fast as I thought it would be. However, he has a good physical condition (1m90, 103kg) and the batters are on base, so we’ll have to see how he handles it.” Due to the unfamiliarity of his first start and the difficulty in adjusting his condition, Lauer’s pitches were not overpowering.