“There’s no Yokishi, and there’s no Ahn Woojin anymore. I’m trying to have a strong mindset.”
He’s arguably the best foreign pitcher this season. However, the team is on the verge of missing fall baseball for the first time in seven years.
This is the reality for Kium Ariel Furado. Hurado pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings against the KT Wiz at Gocheok Sky Dome on Wednesday to earn his ninth win of the season.
The only KT batter to reach base against Hurado was Hwang Jae-gyun, who singled in the second inning. Hurado used a fastball that topped out at 149 mph and a slider changeup to keep the KT bats in check without issuing a walk. Eight strikeouts were a bonus.
The win lowered his season ERA to 2.72. Along with Doosan’s Raul Alcantara (2.25), teammate Ahn Woo-jin (2.39), NC’s Pedi (2.39), and KT’s Ko Young-pyo (2.74), he’s one of the best pitchers in the league.
But they only have nine wins. With only 20 games left in the regular season, Kiwoom has a fast-paced schedule as long as they play in a dome. Especially with a weak team that is ranked 9th in the KBO, 10 wins is not an easy goal for the Furados.
On the day, Furado was removed from the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after throwing 99 pitches in a no-hitter and leading 7-0. “There’s no pitcher who doesn’t want a no-hitter,” he said, “but my pitch count was a little high, and I’ve thrown quite a few innings this season. I had surgery a few years ago,” he laughed.
“My goal is to finish the season healthy and injury-free. It’s a pitcher’s job to finish the innings, but I didn’t have any major regrets.”
“When I was in the U.S., I was a two-seam or sinker pitcher. Since coming to Korea, I’ve learned to go for low pitches after two strikes. It made it easier for me to get through the game. “My changeup and slider have definitely improved a lot,” he said, “and I think I was able to get the KT hitters to hit it well today. My style has changed a lot. Thanks to the pitching coach.”
At the beginning of the season, Kiwoom had a starting rotation of Ahn Woo-jin, Yokishi-Hurado, Choi Won-tae, and Jung Chan-heon. But now, Hurado is the only one left. Yokishi is out due to injury, and Choi Won-tae left the team in a trade for Lee Ju-hyung. Ahn Woo-jin and Jeong Chan-heon are out for the season with injuries.메이저사이트
“Now we have no Yokishi and no Ahn Woo-jin. The team situation is difficult. We’ve been working hard, but we’ll try to keep a stronger mindset in the future. I’ll feel good after 10 wins. We will work together with our players for the rest of the season to win the title.”