Merrill Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Drew Luchinski (Oakland Athletics), who reigned as ‘aces’ in the KBO league, faced each other on the major league stage. It was Kelly who smiled in the inevitable clash between players familiar even to domestic baseball fans.
Kelly and Luczynski took the mound as starting pitchers in the 2023 major league match between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Oakland Athletics held at Ring Central Coliseum in Oakland, California, USA on the 16th (Korean time).
It was a confrontation between players familiar to KBO league fans. Kelly joined the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) in 2015 and played 119 games over four seasons, recording an excellent record of 48-32 with an ERA of 3.86 before stepping onto the major league stage. Kelly, who had never stood on the mound in the major leagues before coming to Korea, became an ‘ace’ and was selected as a member of the US World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, truly a ‘KBO reverse export myth’.
Luchinski stepped on the KBO League stage in 2019 wearing an NC Dinos uniform. Although not a single season overlapped with Kelly, Luczynski also played four seasons. Luchinski pitched in 121 games in 4 seasons of the KBO League and recorded 53 wins and 36 losses with an ERA of 3.06, then returned to the United States through a contract with Oakland.체스카지노
Although they are in the major leagues together, their results are far from extreme. Kelly has appeared in 9 games this year and is still performing well with 3 wins and 3 losses with a 2.96 ERA. On the other hand, Luchinski appeared in 4 games and was unable to continue his good side in the KBO league with 3 losses and an average ERA of 9.00.
And the results came out according to the season performance. On this day, Kelly fought back with 4 hits (1 home run), 1 walk, 9 strikeouts and 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings. On the other hand, Luchinski collapsed with 6 hits (2 homers), 5 walks and 5 runs (5 earned) in 3⅔ innings. Kelly won 4th, and Luczynski recorded 4th loss.
Luchinski was a continuation of the classics. Although there were no runs, Luchinski broke off an uneasy start, with two outs on first and second base due to a hit and a walk in the first inning. The loss was twice. Luczynski, who gave up a double to Dominic Fletcher and reached 2nd and 3rd base, was attacked by Gerardo Ferdomo on a low-dropping slider on the 3rd pitch and hit a two-run homer.
The loss did not stop at one point. Luczynski brought himself into trouble again by giving up a walk to lead hitter Corbin Carroll in the third inning, and hit another two-run home run by follow-up hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a slider that bent low outside. Continued, Luchinski gave up a sacrifice fly to Carroll in the 5th inning with 1 out, 1st and 3rd base, scoring 5 runs and eventually going down the mound.
On the other hand, Kelly’s pitching was solid. Kelly sealed the Oakland batting line with a tripartite strike in the first inning, and then showed a no-nonsense pitch in the second inning. Kelly succeeded in inducing a ground ball to Nick Allen in the third inning with no runners out, but at this time, an error occurred and the runner was sent out, and Esteuri Ruiz, the follow-up hitter, hit a timely hit. However, after tying up the inning without any additional runs, the 4th and 5th innings also tied up the Auckland batting line.
The cruise continued. Kelly got on the mound even when the victory requirements were met. And he turned Louise, Ryan Noda, and Brent Rooker all on base in the 6th inning without a hit, and recorded a three-way offense in the 7th inning. The only disappointing thing was the ending. After hitting a home run by the lead batter, Kelly gave up a walk and a hit in succession, and was driven to the 1st and 2nd base crisis, and could not continue pitching anymore.
However, the bullpen, which took over the baton, finished the inning without conceding a run, and Arizona and Kelly finished the game with smiles while maintaining a 5-2 lead.