*This content was translated by AI.
"I wish KARA Sco could just pitch through six innings."
Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), manager of LG Twins, saw his wish turn into an impossible dream. Even Carlos KARA Sco (39), who had pitched so well before, collapsed with the worst performance since joining the KBO League.
KARA Sco started against Hanwha Eagles at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ball Park on the 9th in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League visit game, pitching 3⅔ innings on 75 pitches, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out five, giving up four runs (three earned).
Acquired to replace Yasel Lios, KARA Sco is a veteran pitcher with 112 wins in Major League Baseball (MLB), and his arrival alone sparked major attention upon joining the KBO League.
He made a strong debut against Doosan on the 1st, pitching seven perfect innings, and over six games logged 36⅓ innings with a record of four wins and one loss, an ERA of 3.47. He delivered five quality starts (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs) in six opportunities, solidly leading LG's starting rotation.
LG's starting rotation has been significantly shaken in the second half, sitting in eighth place with an ERA of 5.25. Even Song Seung-ki was excluded from the first-team roster at the end of last month due to elbow pain.
Go Woo-seok, LG's ace closer, has returned from the U.S., and John Kennedy has been performing adequately, but both are bullpen resources. With Son Ju-young moving to the closer role early in the season, the starting rotation issue remains a persistent concern for LG.
Manager Yeom said before the game, "I wish KARA Sco could just pitch through six innings. That would at least help form a winning lineup." He added, "When he can't pitch well, our B-group pitchers should cover, but while they sometimes succeed, they often fail instead," expressing his frustration.
With the team in a losing streak, the ace took the mound, but today was different from previous games. After allowing two infield hits and one run via sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning, he cleanly held off the opposition in the second and third innings. The trouble began in the fourth.
KARA Sco walked leadoff batter Kang Baek-ho, then allowed a left-field single by Noh Si-hwan, putting him in a crisis. He also walked Yonatan Peraza, loading the bases, before giving up a two-run single to Heo In-seo. He struck out Kim Tae-yeon and induced an infield grounder from Hwang Young-mok to retire the runner at second base, but then allowed another hit to Sim Woo-jun, resulting in additional runs. Ultimately, LG's bench called KARA Sco back to the dugout early. It was his first early exit since joining LG.
Manager Yeom had a clear bullpen plan: if KARA Sco could hold through six innings, he would bring in Go Woo-seok, Kennedy, and Son Ju-young as a winning trio. Yeom said, "I think if the left side is needed in the seventh or eighth inning, Kennedy will go; if the right side is needed, Woo-seok will come out." He added, "If the left side is needed in the sixth, Kennedy will enter; if the right side is needed, (Woo) Kang-hoon might come out. There could even be times when all four pitchers are used. If he can hold through five innings, it would allow about one inning of rest between them."
However, KARA Sco's rapid collapse became the root cause. For LG, who had a lot to do, giving up the game so easily was not an option even while trailing by three runs. With relief pitchers collapsing one after another the previous day, they brought in their winning trio early.
Kennedy took the mound unexpectedly and held off additional runs in the fourth inning, but he faltered in the fifth. With no outs and runners on first and second, Go Woo-seok was brought in. He also struggled to control his pitches, allowing a bases-loaded walk for one run before recording two outs. However, an unlucky infield hit allowed another run. The winning trio card pulled out while trailing by three runs ended up widening the gap to five runs.
Even after using their winning trio, LG's mound collapsed miserably. They gave up one run in the sixth and then, in the eighth inning, three pitchers took the mound but failed to record even three outs as the opposing lineup completed two full rotations, allowing a staggering 12 more runs.
The only consolation amid the four-game losing streak was that fourth-place KIA Tigers also lost, keeping LG in third place by just half a game.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
