Seo Fails to Break the Spell in His Seventh Trial

"In the early innings, I basically threw everything I wanted to pitch," Jae Weong Seo said through an interpreter. "I felt I had all of my pitches."

As Seo himself said, he was perfect. But, without support from Mets batters, he couldn’t do anything.

In the end, Seo failed to break the five-losing spell on him.

It was a game between two "bottom teams” in the National League. Shea Stadium, the home stadium of the Mets, was empty, which had just 6,056 in attendance. Taking the mound as start for the New York Mets, Seo pitched seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits. But he did not win nor lose the game in lack of the firing attach on the part of Mets hitters.

Glendon Rusch, who has lost his last 11 decisions, was locked in an unlikely pitchers duel with Seo in an empty Shea Stadium. Both pitchers came in struggling, and Rusch took a shutout into the seventh before the Mets got on the scoreboard.

Using his precise ball command, Seo shut out the first three innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, the chief crew was generous about making strike decisions.

But, Richie Sexson homered and drove in two runs for the Brewers against Seo in the 4th and 6th. Sexson stopped a three-game losing streak. With all bases loaded in the 6th, one out, Seo successfully sealed the inning with a double play. After shutting out the following seventh, he was replaced.

In the seventh, Mets batters made four hits in a row, and tied the game for Seo. Thus, Seo could wipe out losing any game. The game went to Milwaukee, which added two more runs in the ninth, and was closed at 4-2.

Seo was looking for his first win since beating Florida on June 17. After the game, he did not win any in his seven trials.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com