In the KBO ‘Reverse Export Match’ between Meryl Kelly and Drew Luchinski, the ‘original’ Kelly laughed.
Kelly and Luczynski are familiar players to KBO fans. Kelly is a pitcher who joined SK Wyverns (now SSG) in 2015 and played for four seasons in the KBO League.
After posting an average ERA of 3.86 with a career record of 48 wins and 32 losses in the KBO League, he signed a contract with Arizona in 2019 to advance to the American Professional Baseball Major League (MLB).
Luchinski wore the uniform of the NC Dinos in 2019 and recorded 53 wins and 36 losses with an ERA of 3.06 over four seasons in the KBO League. In addition, in 2020, he contributed to the first championship in NC.
Then, ahead of this season, he signed a contract with Oakland for up to $8 million (about 10.3 billion won) for 1+1 years and returned to the major leagues.
Kelly started on the 16th (Korean time) in the 2023 Major League (MLB) match between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Oakland Athletics held at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, USA and pitched 7 innings, giving up 4 hits and 9 strikeouts and allowing 2 runs.
Following this, Oakland’s Luczynski gave up 5 runs with 2 home runs in 3.2 innings.
Kelly gave up a right-handed hit to Auckland’s Esteuri Lewis from second out and second base in the third inning due to a fielder’s error, giving up his first run. After that, he pitched almost perfectly until the 7th inning.
However, he started to falter entering the eighth 먹튀검증 inning. Allowed a solo home run to leadoff hitter Jace Peterson. He gave up a walk and a hit to the follow-up batter, and faced a crisis situation on first and second base safely.
Kelly was then replaced by Arizona bullpen Miguel Castro.
However, in the process, Kelly was ejected after making a strong protest against the referee’s decision.
The situation was this. After Peterson’s home run, Jordan Dias’s slider, thrown by Kelly at bat, was ruled a ball.
Arizona coach Tori Roblo continued to protest that it was not a swing, but was immediately ordered to leave. Kelly also went down the mound and protested the ball judgment at the time, and was ejected following the manager.
Luchinski showed a continuous slump that day. At the beginning of the second inning when the score was 0-0, he gave up an excellent two-run four to Herardo Ferdomo from second out and third base.
In the third inning, he was hit by a walk by leadoff batter Corbin Carroll and a two-run four by Leure Des Gurriel Jr. in left center.
After that, Luchinski gave an additional sacrifice hit to Carroll in the 4th inning with 1 out, 1st and 3rd base, and then was beaten.
In the end, Kelly became a winning pitcher thanks to his 5-point assist despite the humiliation of being sent off. The result of both teams that day was Arizona’s 5-2 victory over Oakland.
Kelly won his fourth game of the season and lowered his earned run average from 3.18 to 2.92.
On the other hand, Luchinski is still unable to post a win. Season 4 loss. The average ERA also rose from 8.16 to 9.00.