LG’s foreign pitcher Casey Kelly, 33, has had a rough go of it this season, but his first no-hitter of the season has given him a boost.
Kelly joined LG in 2019 and has been a consistent ace for the past four seasons. He has been a stalwart on the mound for LG, posting double-digit wins each season.
However, this year, in his fifth season, he has taken a step back. He has appeared in 24 games, posting an 8-7 record with a 4.39 ERA.
In particular, he has struggled to record a single shutout in 23 of his 24 starts before his last outing against Lotte. While the team’s batting average (2-for-8) has often been able to secure victories thanks to a strong batting lineup, Kelly’s performance has been disappointing.
However, on April 24, Kelly started a home game against Lotte in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul and pitched his first no-hitter of the season. He pitched six innings of three-hit ball, striking out five and walking one to lead his team to a 3-1 victory.
Kelly has struggled in his last 10 games, going 1-4 with a 4.45 ERA, but the no-hitter put an end to his recent struggles. “Every time I go out there, my goal is to help the team win,” Kelly said after the game, “and I’m happy that I was able to do that today.”
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the bats came alive with a three-run rally. Austin Dean followed with an RBI double and Sung-Joo Moon followed with an RBI single. “The batters scoring runs made the game easier for me,” Kelly said with a smile, “I wanted to contribute to the team’s victory, and I’m glad I was able to help.”
Before the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop attributed Kelly’s recent sharp increase in his changeup as a reason for the slump. “His changeup is getting better, but he shouldn’t throw it without it,” he said. “I think he can overcome his current difficulties by improving the effectiveness of his changeup.” 바카라
Taking Yoon’s words to heart, Kelly threw eight changeups and induced two hits from opposing batters. He struck out Seung-min Ko in the second inning and induced a grounder from Min-seok Kim in the sixth.
Kelly used the opportunity to regain confidence in his changeup. “The main thing was to throw the changeup confidently and in the count I wanted,” he said, “and I think I was able to have a good game because I was aggressive and competed with the hitters.”
Yeom also applauded Kelly’s performance, saying, “In the starting battle, Kelly held on and did her job well enough to set the stage for the win.”
With the win, LG consolidated its top spot with 65 wins, two draws, 38 losses, and a 6.3-percent win percentage. It extended its lead to 7.5 games over second-place KT, which lost 3-7 to KIA on the same day. “The team is doing really well, and I want to help them win every time I go out there,” Kelly said.
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