Raul Alcantara (32, Doosan Bears) was also an ace.
Alcantara started the second game of the 2024 KBO League regular season against the Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 21st and recorded four hits, one walk, two strikeouts and no runs in seven innings. The team failed to win the starting game due to the lack of scoring support from the batters, but thanks to his blocking, Doosan achieved a dramatic reversal after two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
He pitched in five games this season, but won a few games with one win and one loss. Instead, his earned run average (ERA) of 2.30 (ranking fifth) is among the best. He is also eighth in innings (31 1/3 innings) even after taking one game off. He is only five innings apart from William Cuevas (KT Wiz), who is ranking first.
Alcantara once became a "winning fairy" with 20 wins in 2020. He could have wanted to win, but he shook his head. "I really needed to win, and I'm glad that the team won dramatically. The team's victory comes before my starting win. I just want to contribute to my victory," Alcantara said after the match on Monday.
What stands out is fewer strikeouts and fewer walks. Alcantara only had two strikeouts on the day. Instead, he only had one walk. He hit a maximum of 153 kilometers per hour on the fastball, but instead of fighting to catch a swing and miss, he lightly induced a batter to make a mistake and quickly organized the inning. He pitched 90 pitches in the final innings of the day, which was so efficient that he could have played eight innings if he had made up his mind.
Doosan, which had been agonizing over its mound management, pitched like a golden ball. Doosan had been struggling with injuries, slumps, and ups and downs since the beginning of this season. Rookie Kim Taek-yeon joined the secondary league in a slump in the beginning of the season, and Hong Geon-hee, who left him as a free agent, and Kim Myung-shin, another must-win resource, also underwent restructuring in the secondary league. Brandon Waddell, who renewed his contract last year based on good pitching, was recently removed due to back pain. Alcantara also played in a game due to right arm fatigue.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop's head became complicated as he even had a doubleheader at a time when pitchers were scarce. In the first game, he gave up his win early on and filled up with long relief resources, but in the second game, he could hardly afford to overcome the burden.
Alcantara filled the burden. He played 198 2/3 innings in 2020 and 192 innings in 2023, but he took responsibility for the long innings without losing a point. Alcantara said, "I focused on my control rather than throwing strongly today's game."
In order for the ball to succeed, he also needed the help of a defender. What caught the eye was Cho's performance as a left fielder. In the bottom of the first inning, when the third batter, Song Seong-moon, hit a long ball toward the left fence, he chased him and caught him with a jump catch. "The fielders firmly defended me," Alcantara said. "In particular, I want to thank Cho for his amazing defense."
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