Tough Luck for Korean MLB Pitchers

Korean pitchers playing in the Major Leagues are suffering undeserved defeats. On August 14, Colorado Rookies pitcher Kim Byung-hyun missed a win after relief pitchers failed to save the game against Chicago Cubs for him. Seo Jae-weong of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitched seven innings allowing only two runs on August 16 against Toronto Blue Jays but didn’t record a win or a defeat due to dull team batting.

On top of that, Park Chan-ho, a San Diego Padres pitcher and the first-ever Korean big leaguer, failed to add to his record on August 17 at a game against San Francisco at his home field, Petco Park.

Park, making his second start since coming off the disabled list, gave up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

In the sixth inning at 4-3 with one out and the bases full, he was taken out of the game. The reliever got the remaining two batters on a strikeout and a pop-up, raising hopes for eighth win of the season for Park.

But catcher Mike Piazza’s throwing error in the eighth inning shattered the hopes of winning for Park. When Ray Durham came out to the batter box with Moises Alou in first base, Alou tried a base stealing. Piazza threw the ball to the second base to get him, but it flew over the head of second baseman Josh Barfield to stop in front of the center fielder. He went to third and Durham’s infield tapper scored Alou to tie the game. Park’s seasonal record remained seven wins and seven defeats with 4.68 ERA.

Park gave up two solo home runs earlier to Barry Bonds, the greatest slugger among active players, in the second inning, and to Todd Greene in the third inning.

In the 2001 season when Bonds set the single-season home run record, he hit his 71st and 72nd home runs against Park. In the second inning as the first batter, Bonds hammered the sixth pitch of Park, a two-seam fastball, over the fence.

San Diego lost the game at 5-7 in 13th inning.

Choo Shin-soo of Cleveland Indians added another hit in four at-bats on the same day against Minnesota. His seasonal batting average slightly dropped from .317 to .312. Cleveland lost 2-7 to Minnesota.

uni@donga.com