Lotte made two changes to their roster in order to make a run at the postseason.
In addition to bringing in Niko Goodrum to replace foreign hitter Jack Rex, they also brought in Aaron Wilkerson to replace Dan Straily. Judging by his performance, it was a half success.
In six starts, Wilkerson is cruising to a 2-1 record with a 1.96 ERA. In each outing, he’s gone at least five innings and held opponents to three earned runs or less, which means he’s done the math.
On the 25th, he pitched well against KT with 7 innings, 6 hits, 8 strikeouts, and 2 runs (1 earned), but he couldn’t get any help from his bats and suffered his first loss. Despite the loss, manager Larry Sutton was full of praise for Wilkerson.
“Wilkerson pitched well enough to get the win yesterday,” Sutton said before the game on Saturday. He didn’t get the run support to get the win, but he executed his game plan well on the mound, especially his command of all his pitches,” Sutton said.
“It’s not easy to come in and perform well during the season, and confidence is one of the most important factors. He knows what style of pitcher he is and what he’s capable of.”
Sutton added, “He has good command of his pitches and he knows how to throw the ball as a pitcher, not just as a thrower. He can put it in and take it out when he wants to. He’s able to read hitters’ swings and execute his game plan and make in-game adjustments.”
Goodrum, on the other hand, was more of a disappointment. He misses Rex, who left the team with a knee injury. Through 26 days and 28 games, he’s batting just 2-for-57 (28-for-109) with 16 RBIs and nine runs scored. He is the only foreign player on the 10-team roster without a home run.
When the club announced Goodrum’s signing, they described him as a versatile player who can play both infield and outfield defense, but he has been hampered by nagging hamstring pain. Against KT on the 26th, he committed three errors that contributed to the loss. 토토사이트
It’s good to see that he’s working hard to adapt to the domestic scene, but it’s the role and duty of a foreign player to produce results that will help the team’s performance. Wilkerson is likely to stay with the team next year, but Goodrum looks like he could be a one-and-done deal.