Furado is suspiciousHe boasted that he knew all about KIA's backup, ERA 9.39 in exhibition games, and Kiwoom's weaknesses…
Mar 17, 2025
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Furado started against KIA in Gwangju on the 16th. The final rehearsal ahead of Kiwoom's opening game in Daegu on the 22nd.
The weather is very cold with the wind, so we made a lineup mainly for backups. However, Furado was forced to start to match the number of pitches.
Before the game, Samsung manager Park Jin-man also said "Originally, 80 to 85 pitches were planned, but the number may decrease due to the cold weather." expressed a slight concern.
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It was difficult to throw in normal condition in the cold enough to multiply hands. The backup defense also fell short of the best lineup that boasts the strongest defense. At a critical moment, he failed to help Furado escape the crisis.
However, even considering these circumstances, Furado was shaken too much. He gave 10 hits, one walk, and six runs (five earned) in four innings. He lost two consecutive games following three runs on five hits, two walks and three runs in three ⅔ against Doosan on the 10th. With this, Furado finished the exhibition game with a poor record of 15 hits and nine runs (eight earned runs) with a 9.39 ERA in seven ⅔ innings in two games.
He allowed a run by sending out runners in every inning. Even in the last inning of the fifth inning, the leadoff hitter got on base with an infield hit and turned over the mound. Due to the coldness of the spring, KIA also formed its batting lineup mainly as a backup. Of course, they were backup hitters running with their eyes on for the opening entry, but they allowed too many hits nonetheless.
There are two possible interpretations.
First of all, from a positive perspective, it was a game that focused on matching only pitches for the opening game without overdoing it too much in the cold weather. It is highly likely that he did not avoid KIA backup players who actively bet from the beginning, but played head-to-head to gauge the timing of his ball and batter. In that sense, the coaching staff's belief that "Even if you trust and write after entering the season..." is also firm.
In fact, Furado also started one exhibition game last year, when he recorded the most quality starts (23 games), and allowed six runs with 12 hits in three innings, including home runs. The ERA reached a whopping 18.00. However, going into the regular season, Furado had a successful season by switching to ace mode.
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At the center of concern is the doubt that he has thrown too many balls over the past two years. Furado has pitched in a total of 60 games, 30 games every year over the past two years when he was at Kiwoom. He played 183 ⅔ innings in 2023 and 190 ⅓ innings in 2024. 374 innings in two years. Some starters threw all the balls for two years to throw for three years. Some people are worried that Anna's ball might be slightly lowered until she wears a mask. As such, he is a player who needs careful management during the season.
Born in Panama, Central America, where the weather is warm, it may be a slow-starter that is vulnerable to cold.
Furado became a losing pitcher by allowing as many as seven runs on 10 hits and two walks, including a four-inning home run, in Gwangju's first game against KIA on March 23 last season, which ruined the exhibition game. Starting with one run in six innings against Gocheok LG on March 29, which was the second game, he made a quality start march for eight consecutive games to announce his entry on track.
If the initial slump continues this year, the opening game against Kiwoom on the 22nd cannot be guaranteed to have a fresh start.
Furado reassured coach Park Jin-man, who was adjusting the schedule for his first appearance at the camp, by saying, "(Don't worry) I know all the weaknesses of Kiwoom hitters." Coach Park also said, `I knew right away because he showed confidence, and I decided to select the opening game without thinking about it.' Will Furado's confidence become a reality, or will the initial jinx continue for two consecutive years. Interest in Furado's opening game against his mother's home is growing.
Reporter Jung Hyun-seok hschung@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
