“It feels so calm.”
KIA foreign pitcher Adonis Medina had a frustrating day without receiving help from the defense. On the 13th, against Doosan in Jamsil, Medina gave up 5 hits (1 home run), 6 strikeouts, 3 walks and 5 runs (2 earned) in 6⅓ innings. It was a day when he threw well enough considering his earned run average. However, the search for the first ball that came out before the first defensive mistake was in the prison.
Medina is 1-5 with an ERA of 6.12 in 6 games this season. On this day, he conceded 5 runs, but his earned run average was slightly lowered due to fewer earned runs. However, it is clear that this is not the move KIA wanted before the season. The two-seam around 150km is sharp and the slider is also sharp. But overall, there are ups and downs.
After one shot in the first inning, Yang Chan-yeol and Yang Eui-ji were given balls that fit their bodies one after another. Commentator Lee Soon-chul of SBS Sports, who relayed the game, pointed out that he did not have a proper release point while taking a slide step while being conscious of the fast runner (Yang Chan-yeol). As he pitched without even lifting his foot, the balance was momentarily broken and a series of balls came out.
Committee member Lee Soon-cheol said, “If the slide step is not done properly, the form is large and it takes a lot of time, so I pitched quickly, so I pitched without lifting my foot.” The time taken for the slide step is 1.5 to 1.6 seconds, and he pointed out that there is definitely a weakness in this part.
If the slide step is good, the pitch can be weak. Rather, commentator Kim Tae-hyeong advised that Medina is a pitcher who can be bullied with pitches, but he would like to use more wild characteristics. In fact, Medina came out at about 147-148 km at the beginning of the game, but he also recorded 150 km.
Commissioner Kim Tae-hyung said, 안전놀이터 “I think I will throw it dynamically, but I have a feeling that it is too calm. Maybe it’s because I’m not in control, so I feel very calm. His two-seam is good, so hitters can be intimidating. The ball itself is threatening, but I don’t think it will feel threatening to the batter.”
Medina found a sense of stability from the second episode. However, as Commissioner Kim said, rather than threatening with two-seam, he used more breaking pitches such as slider, cutter, and changeup. He threw a slider to Yang Eui-ui in the 5th inning and was hit by a left-handed two-run four, but he led it well until one out in the 7th. As Commissioner Kim said, if we use the power of dynamic form and put in our best efforts, we have to wait and see what results will come out, but there are many opinions that it will not collapse easily.
His outward performance is certainly not what one would expect from a foreigner 2 starter. However, as he has a 150km versus two-seam weapon, he is a pitcher with clear room for improvement. The KIA starting lineup this season is the highest level of power in the league. If Medina plays more substantively, the team can also gain strength in the mid-table.