Hanwha’s foreign pitcher Felix Peña, 33, has reached 10 wins in the KBO. After joining the organization as a substitute last year 메이저사이트 and winning five games, he added five more to reach the 10-win mark this year before his season turned around.
Peña got off to a quality start against KIA in Daejeon on April 21, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings to help Hanwha snap a three-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory.
After retiring back-to-back batters in the first and second innings, Peña gave up three consecutive singles to start the third. In the fourth inning, back-to-back infield grounders were missed and then a throwing error and a wild pitch allowed two more runs to score. In the fifth, she gave up a run with runners on first and second, but kept the damage to a minimum. In the seventh, a throwing error by first baseman Kim In-hwan was followed by a single and a walk to load the bases, but Kim induced Socrates Brito to pop out to shortstop to preserve Peña’s victory. Peña celebrated in the dugout, clapping loudly.
On the day, Peña fanned a career-high 106 batters. His fastball (47) topped out at 153 mph and averaged 149 mph, with a mix of changeups (33) and sliders (26). His changeup was effective against lefties and righties alike.
With a career record of 15-8 with a 4.66 ERA in 104 games (24 starts, 260⅔ innings) in five major league seasons, Peña joined Hanwha as a replacement last July and went 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 13 games (67⅔ innings) with 72 strikeouts. That’s not bad, but he averaged five innings per start, so his ability to go the distance was lacking.
He also had the misfortune of ending his season three weeks earlier than the regular season end date after being hit by a hard hit ball and fracturing his nose. Despite the lack of time to evaluate, Hanwha noted Peña’s ability to adapt to the league and re-signed him for a total of $850,000. He went 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in his final six games and was expected to be a solid secondary, if not primary, starter.
However, when new foreign pitcher Butch Smith went down with an injury in the opening game, Peña was thrust into the starting role. The only Hanwha starter to not miss a start this season, Peña is 5-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 14 games (78⅔ innings).
He got off to a rough start in April, going 1-3 with a 5.48 ERA in five starts due to hay fever, but rebounded in May to go 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in nine starts. Their ERA since May ranks fourth in the league. Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “Peña is pitching with a faster tempo than at the beginning of the season and has a higher strike rate. He is pitching steadily and reliably,” he said.
After the game, Peña said, “I went down with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but Kim Bum-soo made a great save. Thanks to him, we were able to 메이저사이트 추천 win the game,” he said, adding, “I’m really happy with my 10 wins in the KBO. The KBO is not an easy place to win. Even 10 wins is not an easy record, but I’m really grateful to my teammates who help me every time.”
“I don’t have a specific number in mind, but I want to win as many games as possible in the future, and I’m preparing with the mindset of winning every game,” Peña continued. “This year, my wife and daughter are living with me in Korea. They have adapted well enough to feel at home here. We’re all happy here,” he said, showing his affection for Korea.
