"KKKKKK+2 Runs in 6 innings" The ML 20-win pitcher was properly in love with the support of South Korea. "Until the 9th inning, constant support was impressive."
"KKKKKK+2 Runs in 6 innings" The ML 20-win pitcher was properly in love with the support of South Korea. "Until the 9th inning, constant support was impressive."
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"It was impressive because it was your first time"
LG Twins' Yoni Chirinos started the opening home showdown against the Lotte Giants of the 2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 22nd and pitched in six innings with 103 pitches, five hits, three walks, eight strikeouts and two runs (two earned) to secure his first win of the season.
Chirinos, who started his big league career with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, pitched in 26 games (18 starts) in the 2019 season and 133 ⅓ innings, recording 9 wins, 5 losses and an ERA of 3.85. However, during the 2020 season, there was a big negative factor of elbow injury, and it went downhill as he underwent Tommy John surgery.
After Tommy John surgery, Chirinos returned to the big league and joined the Tampa Bay, Atlanta Braves, and Miami Marlins, but failed to make a comeback. As a result, he will be wearing the LG Twins uniform this year, with 20 wins and 17 losses and an ERA of 4.22 over six seasons. Chirinos also made its debut against the Lotte Giants on Tuesday.
He started off smoothly. In the first inning, Chirinos allowed all the top hitters leading to Hwang Sung-bin, Ko Seung-min, and Na Seung-yeop to make mistakes and start the game. In the second inning, he allowed consecutive hits to Yoon Dong-hee and Jeon Joon-woo, facing the crisis of losing their first run, but after striking out Son Ho-young, he tied Yoo Kang-nam to the center field with a fly ball to score no runs. In the third inning, he cruised while cooking Park Seung-wook, Hwang Sung-bin, and Ko Seung-min.
His first run came in the third inning. After tying leadoff hitter Na Seung-yeop with a ground ball, Chirinos was shaken up sharply by giving up consecutive walks to Yun Dong-hee and Jeon Joon-woo after a double by Victor Reyes. Afterwards, Son allowed two runs on a timely hit. However, there were no additional runs. Chirinos had a hit by Yoo Kang-nam, who followed, but did not allow runners to hit home, striking out Park Seung-wook and turning Hwang Sung-bin into a catcher's foul fly to prevent the big crisis with just two runs.
Afterwards, Chirinos stabilized again and cruised. After striking out leadoff hitter Ko Seung-min, he struck out Na Seung-yeop on a fly ball to the third base and grounded out Reyes on the second base to record his third out. He also took the mound in the sixth inning to garner two strikeouts to block Lotte's batters to complete a quality start (three earned runs or less in six innings), and LG won 12-2, securing its first win.
Chirinos met reporters after the game and held his first winning ball in his hands. How did he feel about taking the mound for the first time? "As an opening pitcher, I felt a lot of responsibility, but I think I had a good result because the pitching that I had prepared came out and fans cheered me on," Chirinos said with a smile.
Jamsil Stadium was crowded with spectators at 12:16 p.m. on the day, with 23,750 tickets sold out. Chirinos also said he felt like throwing at a KBO League stadium full of fans. "When I was in the mound, I could hear fans cheering for me, but I couldn't pay much attention. However, I was very surprised when I heard the fans' voices from the 7th inning after I came down from the mound. I have played in the U.S. for a long time, but it was impressive because it was the first time that fans constantly showed their support from the 1st to the 9th inning," he said.
Despite being a right-handed pitcher, Chirinos allowed only four hits to right-handed hitters. On the other hand, left-handed hitters tied the game to just one hit. "My pitching style is the opposite. As the sinker controlled the ball high today, (the right-handed batter) got many hits. However, I usually try to control the ball as low as possible. That's why I got a hit (from left-handed hitters), which was a bit unusual today," Chirinos said.
Chirinos then said about using the splitter very effectively, "I talked a lot with (Park) Dong-won, the power analysis team before the game. In the camp, the splitter I wanted was not moving, but it became more comfortable as I corrected the grip, and I was able to throw it with confidence. In that sense, today's splitter was pitched efficiently," he said. 안전놀이터
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "As Chirinos has a strong career in the Major League, I expect more than 15 wins. The same goes for Chirinos. "I agree with you. I have never won 15 games in a single season while playing for Saeohal in the U.S. for 13 years. However, I hope this year will be the first season of the season. Victory is important, but doing your best in every game is important. When I take the mound, I will try to play with the mindset that I will help my team rather than become a winning pitcher."