Dominican Republic starting pitcher Christopher Sánchez said ahead of the matchup with Korea on the 14th (all times Korea time), "I will attack the strike zone aggressively."
Sánchez, who has been serving as the ace for the Philadelphia Phillies, has appeared in 104 major league games since his MLB debut in 2021, posting a 30-21 record with a 3.24 earned run average. His record last year was 32 games, 13-5, with a 2.50 earned run average.
At an official news conference on the 13th at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, Sánchez said, "My mindset for tomorrow's game is competition. I will pitch my best as I always do," and added, "I have never faced Korean players, and they don't know me well either."
Reflecting on his first start, he also mentioned areas to improve. He said, "I didn't throw some pitches properly and learned a lot from those mistakes," and emphasized, "The national team atmosphere is special. Dominican players trust and support each other."
He also cited emotional control on the mound as an important factor. Sánchez said, "You have to control your emotions well on the mound. I have done so up to now, and it will be the same tomorrow."
He also expressed faith in the powerful Dominican lineup. He said, "In my first start I once told Camineros, 'This feeling is new to me,' " and added, "Our lineup is so powerful that it makes me feel relaxed and at ease."
He went on to show confidence, saying, "Our offense is among the best in this tournament. It gives the pitchers great support."
He was reserved about his pitching strategy. He said, "I have a good fastball. A plan for tomorrow is already prepared," and explained, "Because there are different game plans for each opponent, there is also a separate plan for the game against Korea."
He also said, "This is the first time facing Korea. I will devise a strategy with the pitching coach and the catcher and actively attack the strike zone."
He commented on the Dominican lineup as well. Sánchez laughed and said in response to a question asking whether he had ever faced such a lineup, "Never. It's the first time facing that kind of lineup."
In this round, the pitch count limit is also a variable. He said, "There is an 80-pitch limit at this stage. In the first start it was 65 pitches," and added, "My goal is to pitch as long as possible while minding the pitch count limit and not allowing runs."
Meanwhile, Sánchez did not make any specific comments in response to questions about the Korean lineup.
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