How was the return match for the first time in 417 days with the best 151km KIA left-hander ace...Thank you, Wisdom! be completely defeated
Jul 20, 2025
|
Lee Eui-ri started the game against the NC Dinos in the '2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' held at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 20th and recorded two hits (two home runs), two walks, two strikeouts, and two runs in four innings.
For now, he mostly threw fastballs (47), mixed breaking balls including changeups (8), curves (5), and sliders (4). The maximum fastball speed was 151km and the average speed was 146km. The restraint was almost restored, and the zero was not well established yet. Of the 64 pitches, 32 were balls.
It was the first return match in 417 days since the match against NC on May 29 last year. Lee Eui-ri left the mound after three innings (3 runs) due to severe elbow pain at the time, and hospital examination revealed that surgery was necessary. Lee Eui-ri, who underwent Tommy John surgery, spent the past year recharging by focusing only on recovering his body.
Ahead of his return match, Lee Eui-ri said "I definitely feel like I'm buying some now that I'm playing baseball. The goal for the second half is to win. As a player, winning is a goal every year. So that we can win, we'll blend into the team and show good results"I'm determined.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, "(When I saw the bullpen pitching), the ball was good. The restraint is good, and my arms don't hurt first of all. As I threw the ball hard, I think I caught a little blister for the first time in a long time. Other than that, there is no discomfort while throwing the ball. His facial expression has definitely improved. "I'm going to throw about 60 to 70 pitches today (20th)."
Lee Eui-ri was struck from the start. In the first inning, Kim Joo-won, the leadoff hitter, hit a solo shot to the left, making it 0-1. The slider hit at ball count 2B1S. Kim Joo-won's first leadoff home run in the first inning.
|
|
In the top of the second inning, Lee Eui-ri continued his unstable pitch. He caught leadoff hitter Son Ah-seop well with a fly ball to center field, but after one out, he was hit by a left-handed home run by Park Gun-woo. Park Kun-woo pulled a 147km/h fastball that went high in the body from the ball count 2B1S. The score is 0-2.
Lee Eui-ri grounded out Seo Ho-chul to shortstop to make it to two outs, and then walked Kim Hyung-joon and Choi Jung-won in a row, causing an additional run crisis. The second confrontation with Kim Joo-won, who gave up a home run in his first at-bat, was important, but he put three fastballs down and ended the inning with three strikeouts.
In the top of the third inning, he finished the inning without losing a run for the first time. After one out, Park Min-woo was sent out with a dune, but both Kim Hui-jip and Son Ah-seop were returned to the outfield fly ball.
Then, the batters responded in the bottom of the third inning. With one out and one on the first base, Patrick Wisdom hit a two-run shot to tie the left-hander to balance 2-2. It was the moment when Lee Eui-ri escaped the defeat crisis.
As the innings passed, I found more stability. Lee Eui-ri also took the mound in the fourth inning and recorded his first three-out inning. He took the lead by treating leadoff hitter Park Gun-woo, who allowed a home run earlier, with a straight hit to shortstop.
Two homers must have been disappointing, but Lee Eui-ri finished his first return without difficulty and handed the ball to Sung Young-tak before the defense in the fifth inning.
|
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
