KIA Tigers foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez fell into a series of slumps.먹튀검증 ‘Super Mario’, which showed the 10 strikeout impact achieved in his first appearance, disappeared in an instant. It is in danger of becoming the only hole in the KIA starting lineup.
KIA recorded a 4-4 draw against Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on August 6th. KIA, which maintained a record of 3 consecutive wins, kept its 6th place in the league with 44 wins, 2 draws and 43 losses in the season.
On this day, KIA put Sanchez on the starting mound. After two outs in the top of the first inning, Sanchez faced a crisis with two outs on first and second bases, giving Kim Tae-yeon a double and Roh Si-hwan a walk. However, Sanchez prevented the first run by striking out Kim In-hwan on a swing.
KIA foreign pitcher Sanchez failed to complete 5 innings in 2 consecutive games. Photo = KIA Tigers
Sanchez gave up a walk after two outs in the top of the second inning, but ended the inning again with a judo hit. At the end of the second inning, the KIA line-up scored first with Socrates’ double and an error in the opponent’s left fielder’s catch in the situation of one out and first base.
Sanchez struck out three batters in a row in the top of the third inning and gained momentum. However, Sanchez was in danger at the beginning of the 4th inning. In the beginning of the 4th inning, after a full count match with lead batter Noh Si-hwan, Sanchez hit a 147km/h fastball and hit a superior solo home run with a distance of 110m.
Then, in the crisis of 2nd, 1st and 3rd base, which was given out with a hit with Bolne, Sanchez allowed Joo-seok Ha to hit a double at the right time with 1 RBI and allow a 1-2 reversal.
Sanchez’s uneasy flow continued in the beginning of the 5th inning. In the beginning of the 5th inning, Sanchez gave the lead hitter Lee Do-yoon a straight hit from the shortstop. Then, Sanchez, who gave Kim Tae-yeon a walk, was hit by Noh Si-hwan for one RBI and scored the third run.
In the end, the KIA bench decided to change the pitcher to break the flow. Sanchez passed the ball to Choi Ji-min without completing the fifth inning. Sanchez’s run increased to 4 as Choi Ji-min got hit by Kim In-hwan and gave away a sacrifice ball to Chae Eun-seong.
At the end of the 5th inning, KIA Kim Kyu-sung’s 1 RBI and timely hit and Socrates’ push-off walk at the end of the 8th inning fiercely pursued by one point. And at the end of the 9th inning, in the last opportunity of regular innings with 2 out, 1st and 2nd base, Na Seong-beom’s dramatic tie-breaking hit struck a 4-4 balance. Afterwards, KIA, which mobilized all the bullpens, ended the game with a tie in the 12th overtime.
KIA pitcher Sanchez roars after striking out against Hanwha in Gwangju on August 6. Photo = KIA Tigers
It was a dramatic draw, but from the KIA bench point of view, Sanchez’s sluggishness is the most mindful. Sanchez was sluggish that day with 4.1 innings, 94 pitches, 5 hits (1 home run), 6 strikeouts, 4 walks and 4 runs. Sanchez made a disappointing result of not being able to complete 5 innings in 2 consecutive games.
Sanchez joined the team in early July as a substitute foreign pitcher and made his KBO League debut on July 9 against Suwon KT WIZ. In his debut match, Sanchez, who showed overwhelming pitching with 5 hits, 10 strikeouts and 1 run in 6.1 innings, was bound to receive greater expectations.
However, after his first start, Sanchez’ pitching content is gradually deteriorating. Sanchez, who recorded 6.2 innings, 4 hits, 10 strikeouts and 4 runs against the Gwangju Doosan Bears on July 21st, recorded 9 hits, 3 strikeouts and 3 runs in 5 innings against the Changwon NC Dinos on the 26th.
And Sanchez, who showed the worst pitching content with 10 hits and 7 runs in 4 innings against Samsung Lions in Pohang on August 1st, failed to properly play the role of starting pitcher with 5 hits and 4 runs in 4.1 innings against Hanwha in Gwangju on the 6th.
Sanchez, whose main weapon is a sweeper, a deformed slider with flamboyant movements, is relatively weak against left-handed hitters (0.305 hit rate, 3 home runs, 12 strikeouts) than right-handed hitters (0.288 hit rate, 2 home runs, 21 strikeouts). There is a high possibility that he will continue to have difficulties against a team that is mainly deployed by left-handed hitters, and on the mound on the 6th, his control power was shaken, leaving anxiety.
Besides, except for Sanchez, the rest of the team’s starters all pitched five or more innings last week. Only Sanchez, who appeared twice a week, failed to complete five innings both times. This left room for the only hole in the KIA starting lineup.
Sanchez plans to aim for a rebound in the match against Lotte Giants on the 12th. Since Lotte batters are meeting Sanchez for the first time, the weapon of unfamiliarity must be used. If Sanchez’s weakness is discovered through power analysis and he suffers again, the KIA bench’s mind will inevitably become more complicated. I wonder if Sanchez will be able to reproduce the impact he showed during his debut in the KBO League.