A one-two punch wipeout by an outsider, but first place and a 3G lead?
The foreign player, who was hoped to anchor the team’s starting lineup, was taken off the bench. His return was met with question marks.
“We held on and then the first half ended,” said Doosan Bears head coach Lee Seung-yeop before their game against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles on March 27.
A series of injuries and poor performances by key players. Above all, the foreign duo that was supposed to be the center of the starting lineup took turns being out of the lineup.
Raul Alcantara, who went 13-9 with a 2.67 ERA in 31 games last year, complained of pain in his elbow on April 21 after a game against the Kiwoom Heroes. After undergoing tests at hospitals in Korea and with his doctor in the U.S., he returned to action against the KIA on May 26, about a month later. He struggled against KIA, giving up five runs in 3⅓ innings, and went 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in five games in June. He raised hopes for a rebound with seven scoreless innings against the NC on May 20, but struggled with five runs in 3⅔ innings against Hanwha on May 26. “It’s not good. I have a lot of worries,” Lee sighed.
Alcantara’s bigger problem is Brandon Waddell. He’s been the de facto ace this season, going 7-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 14 starts, but after missing time in April with a sore back, he was placed on the disabled list on April 24 with a strained subscapularis muscle in his left shoulder. He’s scheduled to be re-evaluated in three weeks, but it’s not looking good. “I’m still talking to the club,” Lee said. 무료고스톱다운받기 I know they’re checking here and there. I think the front office will prepare well,” he said, hinting at a replacement.
Despite a steady stream of foreign player departures since April, Doosan is in fourth place with 44 wins, 2 draws and 38 losses through 29 games. They are only three games behind the leaders, the Kia Tigers (45-2-33).
Despite the holes in the starting lineup, the bullpen has been able to provide some “young blood. Rookie Kim Taek-yeon, Lee Byung-heon, Choi Ji-kang, and others have shown growth in the closer’s role. Veterans Hong Gun-hee, Kim Kang-ryul, and Lee Young-ha also pitched in here and there to keep Doosan from collapsing. The weather didn’t help. Doosan had played 82 games through 29 days, the most among the 10 teams. They played doubleheaders even when rainouts were canceled, which made for a quick season.
For now, Doosan is looking for a replacement for Brandon. Keisho Shirakawa and Roenis Elias, who played well for the SSG Landers, are also being considered. SSG brought in Shirakawa as a short-term replacement foreign player when Elias went down with an injury. Shirakawa is 2-2 with a 5.09 ERA in five games. He has pitched consistently with no ups and downs, except for a loss to Lotte on April 7, when he was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) in 1 1/3 innings. SSG will have to part ways with Shirakawa in order to enroll Elias. On the other hand, they would have to part ways with Shirakawa to keep Elias. Either way, it’s not a bad situation for Doosan, as both players have already adapted to the KBO. “Everything is open,” Lee said, adding, “It could be another opportunity for us. It’s a change of pace,” Lee said, adding that he was optimistic.
“We’re looking for a replacement for Brandon. “The middle relievers have done a good job, but the starting pitching staff hasn’t been able to go long innings. So the relievers had to come in quickly, and that started to wear them down a little bit. We need to get a little bit more out of the starters to help the bullpen hold up. Also, if the starters are struggling a little bit, it can be surprisingly good if an unsung hero comes through, so I’m looking forward to that. I hope the batting lineup can help the pitchers,” he said.
“The players are working really hard. We don’t have any more players coming up (from the second team). We have to make do with the players we have. And when the foreign players come back, it will be even better. I think good things will happen,” he said, hoping for a rebound factor.
