Lotte manager Larry Sutton reflected on the game against Sajik KT on Friday and praised the performance of starter Aaron Wilkerson.
Wilkerson, who took the mound, pitched until the seventh inning, giving up only two runs (one earned). He took the loss as the bats went silent, but his performance deserved a round of applause.
Speaking to the media before the game on the 26th, Sutton said, “Wilkerson pitched well enough to get the win yesterday. He didn’t get the run support he needed to get the win, but he executed his game plan well on the mound, especially his command of all his pitches.”
Wilkerson, who replaced Dan Straley in the rotation, is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in six appearances this season. “It’s not easy to come in and perform well during the season,” Sutton said, “and there are a lot of factors, but confidence is the most important. She knows what she’s capable of and what she’s capable of,” Sutton said.
“You know your pitches are working and you know how to throw the ball as a pitcher, not just a guy who throws the ball. He can put it in and take it out when he wants to. He’s able to read the hitters’ swings, and he’s able to execute his game plan and make in-game adjustments.”
On the batting lineup’s struggles during the five-game losing streak, Sutton says, “I always tell the guys, ‘Keep it simple. When you’re hitting well, you’re confident in what you’re doing, but when you’re not, it’s easy to get to bad pitches,” he said. “Especially when it’s bad, even if you’re in a 0B-1S or 1B-1S situation and you get one strike, you have to wait until you’re in your zone before you hit it, but you get impatient and you reach for bad pitches,” he said.스포츠토토
Lotte’s starting lineup is right fielder Yoon Dong-hee, second baseman Ahn Chi-hong, left fielder Lee Jung-hoon, designated hitter Jeon Jun-woo, first baseman Ko Seung-min, third baseman Gudrum, shortstop Noh Jin-hyuk, catcher Shin Jung-geun, and center fielder Ahn Kwon-soo. “Glasses Ace” Park Se-woong will start on the mound.