*This content was translated by AI.
Pedro Avila (29) has emerged as the new ace for SSG Landers, securing three wins in less than a month since joining the team.
On the 11th, Avila started against the Lotte Giants at Incheon SSG Landers Field in a regular-season game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out six batters, giving up three earned runs (zero self-charged runs), leading his team to an 8-4 victory.
There were no significant crises until the fifth inning. That day, Avila baffled Lotte batters with a variety of breaking balls, including 12 fastballs, seven curveballs, and two sweepers. Just when it seemed he might issue a walk, he induced numerous groundouts using modified fastballs such as a two-seam fastball clocked at 155 km/h (32 pitches) and a cutter (26 pitches).
The biggest crisis came in the sixth inning. Avila allowed a hit to Na Seung-yeop into left-center field, and Victor Reyes' ground ball resulted in an error by catcher An Sang-hyun, putting him in a one-out, runners on first and second situation. Although he struck out Han Dong-hee with a swing-and-miss, he consecutively allowed a two-run double to Go Seung-min down the right-field line and a two-run single to Yoon Dong-hee via the right side, giving up three runs in total.
However, he got Son Ho-young to ground out to the shortstop, successfully achieving a quality start (defined as six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs). This marked his fourth quality start in five appearances.
After the game, Avila said, "The pitching balance and strategy we reviewed together with the coaching staff during the break period led to good results on the mound, so I am personally satisfied. Thanks to the catcher's excellent lead, I was able to show the pitches I had prepared." He credited catcher Cho Hyung-woo for his performance.
Cho Hyung-woo effectively guided the pitching staff throughout the game and also excelled at the plate with three hits in four at-bats. As a result, Avila has recorded 3 wins without a loss in five appearances, with an ERA of 1.93, 28 innings pitched, 13 walks, and 32 strikeouts, firmly establishing himself as a pillar on the SSG mound.
This year, SSG has repeatedly cycled through six foreign pitchers, starting with Drew VerHagen whose contract was canceled due to medical testing before the season began. However, none could last more than three months except for Shota Takeda, until they found hope in Avila, who had been performing well with the Triple-A team of the Cleveland Guardians.
The result has been a great success so far. From his first game against KIA Tigers at Incheon, where he pitched six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, Avila has achieved quality starts in 80% of his appearances. Coincidentally, he narrowly secured quality starts in two games against Lotte by allowing three runs in the final inning, but he showed no concern about it.
Avila calmly stated, "Baseball is a sport where good results cannot always be guaranteed. Opposing batters must have thoroughly prepared for me and stepped into the batter's box with that preparation."
He further emphasized, "Allowing runs is simply part of baseball that can happen at any time during a game. Rather than being shaken by the situation, I focused on concentrating only on the next pitch to throw and continuing my pitching."
With this two-game winning streak, SSG, currently in ninth place, has recorded 40 wins, four draws, and 60 losses, achieving a .400 winning percentage. While the gap of 13.5 games to reach fifth place—the threshold for playoff qualification—is not easy to close, the performance of foreign ace Avila, found after five attempts and six tries, is certainly worth anticipating for next season as well.
Avila vowed, "I am grateful to all the fans who have enthusiastically supported us. As a starting pitcher, I believe my role is to build the foundation for team victories every time I step onto the mound. I will maintain the good form from today's (11th) game and prepare well so that I can deliver solid pitching that contributes to the team in my next appearance."
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*This content was translated by AI.
