Baseball
Baseball
Carrasco Shines in Debut, But LG Settles for Draw After Bullpen Blunder
Carlos Carrasco, the veteran right-hander making his KBO League debut for the LG Twins, delivered a perfect seven innings against the Doosan Bears on August 1st at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, only to see his bid for a victory evaporate after his departure. The Twins ultimately played to a 2-2 draw in the second game of their weekend series.
Carrasco, a 39-year-old (Korean age 40) with 112 career MLB wins, the most of any former big leaguer to enter the KBO, showcased impressive control and a diverse arsenal of pitches, including a cutter, two-seam fastball, curve, and a sharp slider. He retired all 21 batters he faced, maintaining the perfect game through the seventh inning. The Twins offense supported him with two runs in the fifth inning, as Oh Ji-hwan doubled, Lee Ju-heon hit an RBI single, and Hong Chang-ki added another RBI hit, putting LG up 2-0.
Despite Carrasco’s dominant performance, manager Yeom Kyeong-yeop had set a pitch limit of approximately 70 pitches for his debut, especially given the hot weather and the pitcher’s recent arrival. Carrasco was replaced by Woo Kang-hoon to start the eighth inning. The bullpen struggled immediately, as Woo allowed a single and a double, cutting the lead to one run. Closer Son Ju-yeong then surrendered a game-tying RBI single, costing Carrasco his potential win.
The draw was a frustrating outcome for the Twins, who had a challenging July, dropping from first to third in the standings. While Carrasco’s stellar outing offered a promising start to August, the team failed to secure a much-needed win, leaving them with a 55-1-43 record and unable to gain ground on the league leaders. The team also played without starting catcher Park Dong-won, who was rested due to fatigue, with Lee Ju-heon catching Carrasco’s debut.
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