'49 pitches in one inning, 7 hits allowed, 8 runs surrendered' — Why didn't they change the pitcher?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Why didn't they make the change?

The game between SSG Landers and KT Wiz was held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 13th. SSG starting pitcher Takeda (33) showed extreme difficulty after two outs in the bottom of the second inning, allowing as many as eight runs. Yet, no pitching change was made. Takeda also appeared in the bottom of the third inning, surrendering one more run, before handing the mound to Lee Jun-ki at the start of the bottom of the fourth.

Takeda's start that day was good. After the team's lineup scored one run in the top of the first, he took the mound and struck out Choi Won-jun, recorded a center field fly out by Kim Sang-su, and induced a ground ball to the third baseman from Kim Hyun-su. He finished the inning with just nine pitches. In the bottom of the second, he struck out the first batter, Hilliard, and walked Kim Min-hyeok, but immediately struck out Jang Sung-woo to end the threat.

Up to that point, things were fine. However, after allowing a single to the left side by Heo Kyung-min, he gave up a tying two-run single to Yoo Jun-kyu with two outs and runners on first and second. As Lee Kang-min's hit loaded the bases, pitching coach Kyung-heon Ho came to the mound to speak with Takeda.

But the onslaught continued. He immediately allowed a two-run single to the left side by Choi Won-jun, giving KT a 3-1 lead. A walk to Kim Sang-su loaded the bases again. Then, he surrendered a three-run double to the gap in right-center field by Kim Hyun-su, resulting in a sweep of three runs.

It did not end there. Hilliard hit a massive two-run home run over the right-field fence, extending the score to 1-8. The next batter, Kim Min-hyeok, also hit a two-run single to center field, allowing eight consecutive batters to reach base. Yet, the SSG bench remained unmoved. Takeda managed to strike out Jang Sung-woo and barely finished the inning.

In one inning, he threw 49 pitches to 12 batters, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, and 8 runs. It took about 23 minutes to record just three outs. Even after that, Takeda returned to the mound in the bottom of the third, throwing 33 more pitches and surrendering one additional run before finishing his outing for the day. Over three innings, he allowed 9 hits, 4 walks, recorded 5 strikeouts, and gave up 9 runs, with a total pitch count of 91. SSG surrendered the most runs and hits (20) in a single game this season to KT, suffering a decisive 18-4 defeat.

Takeda, who wears the SSG uniform under the Asia quota, had a poor record of 1 win and 4 losses with an ERA of 8.14 in his previous six games. His only victory came on April 25 against Incheon KT (5 scoreless innings). Although he seemed to find stability in the following game on May 1 against Lotte Giants (5⅓ innings, 1 run allowed), he collapsed again in his previous appearance on the 7th against NC Dinos, allowing 7 runs in 4⅓ innings.

Lee Sung-yong (55), SSG manager, said the following about Takeda ahead of the game that day:

"He is gradually improving. However, I believe the main issue is that the defense does not adequately support him when Takeda is pitching. Because he could not overcome such situations, he collapsed all at once. But his stuff is gradually improving, so if he can handle the early part of the game well today, he should be fine."

Perhaps that was why they kept him on the mound, hoping Takeda would somehow overcome the crisis. Moreover, with a sudden surge of runs, including Kim Hyun-su's three-run RBI single and Hilliard's two-run home run, it may have been difficult to find the right timing for a pitching change. Additionally, key relief pitchers such as Moon Seung-won, Lee Ro-un, Noh Gyeong-eun, and Jo Byung-hyun had appeared in consecutive games on the 10th against Doosan Bears and on the 12th against KT, suggesting an intention to minimize bullpen usage.

Takeda's record for this season stands at 1 win and 5 losses in 7 games, with an ERA soaring to 10.21. SSG, already struggling to assemble its starting rotation due to injuries to Kim Kwang-hyun, Kim Min-jun, and Mitch White, now faces a significant concern with Takeda's poor performance.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original