Professional baseball player Charlie Barnes of the Lotte Giants was battered in the opening game and pulled early.
On the 22nd, at the Seoul Jamsil Stadium, the opening game between Lotte and LG took place. Barnes started as the pitcher, throwing 81 pitches over 3 innings, allowing 8 hits, 1 home run, 3 walks, striking out 2, and giving up 7 earned runs. This 7 earned runs mark is Barnes's personal highest against LG. He had previously allowed 5 earned runs in two games.
LG's starting lineup featured Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (left fielder), Austin (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Song Chan-eui (designated hitter), Park Dong-won (catcher), Park Hae-min (center fielder), and Koo Bon-hyeok (second baseman).
Barnes began allowing runs from the first inning. He got the first out by forcing leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki into a ground ball to second base, but then suffered three consecutive hits. He allowed a double to Kim Hyun-soo down the left-field line and another double to Austin that slipped past the first base side for the opening run.
Barnes threw a slider on the third pitch to Moon Bo-kyung with a favorable 2-strike count, but it became a fat pitch right down the middle, leading to a two-run home run that went over the right-field fence.
Next, he allowed a hit to Oh Ji-hwan and struck out Song Chan-eui, but permitted a stolen base. The catcher's throw got away, allowing the runner to advance to third base. With 2 outs and a runner on third, he managed to escape the inning by getting Park Dong-won to fly out to right field.
The second inning also presented a crisis. He allowed an infield hit to leadoff hitter Park Hae-min and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. Facing Hong Chang-ki, Barnes sent a hit-by-pitch on a 2-strike count, putting runners on first and second. In a one-out jam, he induced a ground ball from Kim Hyun-soo to second base, getting the lead runner out at second. He finished the inning without a run after getting Austin to fly out to center field with 2 outs and runners on first and third.
However, Barnes gave up a significant number of runs again in the third inning. He allowed a single to Moon Bo-kyung and an unexpected bunting single to Oh Ji-hwan toward third base. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out, and he faced a bases-loaded threat after walking Park Dong-won.
Barnes struck out Park Hae-min looking on a high fastball, but with 2 outs and the bases loaded, he allowed another run by issuing a walk to ninth batter Koo Bon-hyeok. A wild pitch during Hong Chang-ki's at-bat allowed yet another run to score. With 2 outs and runners on second and third, Hong Chang-ki hit a double that ricocheted off the right-center fence, allowing both runners to score. The score became 0-7.
As the pitch count surpassed 75, Park Jin was warming up in the Lotte bullpen. Catcher Yoo Kang-nam visited the mound. Barnes ended the inning by handling Kim Hyun-soo, throwing a ground ball to second base with 2 outs and a runner on second.
Lotte scored 2 runs in the top of the fourth, and Barnes was substituted in the bottom of the fourth. He was replaced by Kim Kang-hyun.
Barnes, who has been with Lotte since 2022, had a combined record of 2 wins and 5 losses with a 4.94 earned run average against LG through last year in 9 games. He had no victories against LG in the last 2 years. In 2023, he had 4 games against LG without a win, suffering 3 losses and posting a 7.64 earned run average. Last year, he appeared in one game against LG, pitching 6⅓ innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 home runs, 3 walks, striking out 5, and giving up 3 earned runs without a decision. He struggled with 7 earned runs in the opening game this year.
[OSEN]