More pitch count info on MLB pitchers from the
Saturday-Sunday WBC games at Tokyo:
Korea started Sunny Kim (Rockies) against Japan
on Sunday (60 pitches, 38 strikes), and he wasn't all that effective (7 of 17
batters reached base). Jung Bong (Reds) saw his first action of the WBC and
pitched two scoreless innings, although he was a little wild (31 pitches, 17
strikes). Chan Ho Park (Padres) notched his second save of the tourney, pitching
a 1-2-3 ninth (just 7 pitches). It now looks as if Park will serve as Korea's
closer throughout the WBC, which makes you wonder how far behind he'll be when
he checks back into the Padres' camp and prepares to start the season in their
rotation. Byung Hyun Kim (Rockies) did not see action after Friday's opener, and
Jae Seo (Dodgers) had the weekend off after his start on Friday.
For Japan, Akinori Otsuka (Rangers) pitched the
ninth inning against Korea and struck out all three batters he faced (14
pitches) in his first WBC action. Going into the tournament, Hirotoshi Ishii had
been designated as Japan's closer. However, entering the Korea game with a 2-1
lead in the eighth, Ishii blew the save (and eventually the game) by giving up a
two-run homer to Seung Yeop Lee on an awful hanging curve. Otsuka then followed
Ishii with that three-strikeout ninth; managers have been known to change
closers with far less cause.
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