Left-hander Thomas Pannoni 토마스 파노니 (29) returned to the KIA Tigers after 280 days.
In his return to the KBO after 280 days, Panoni showed that he still has stable pitches and operational skills. However, there were also challenges.
Panoni started the sixth game of the season against Samsung at Champions Field in Gwangju on Dec. 12 and gave up two runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in four innings.
Taking the mound in humid, mid-monsoon conditions, Panoni struggled a bit early on.
He needed just 24 pitches to get out of the first inning after giving up a double and a walk.
He struck out the side in the second and third innings. He gradually reduced his pitch count from 16 to 9 and settled down. But he faltered in the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead.
A single and a double put runners on second and third with no outs, but a grounder and a single made it 1-2.
After throwing 76 pitches through four innings, Panoni was relieved by the bullpen in the top of the fifth inning with the score 1-2.
Manager Kim Jong-kook said the next day, “He pitched with a short slide step even with the bases loaded. He has a fast pop, so it won’t be easy for them to run. His balance seems to have improved as well. His pitches and command are stable.” “Yesterday, I felt heavier and less jet lagged. I’m sure I’ll pitch better in the next rotation.” “It’s been about two weeks since I haven’t thrown a ball, and I had some jet lag, so I think it was a good break,” Panoni said in a postgame interview, “I was a little shaky in the fourth inning, but overall I think I was good.”
Panoni relied heavily on his cutter and fastball on the day. His cutter, which he threw for 33 pitches, topped out at 142 mph. It was definitely faster than the low 130s last year. “I’ve been working on my cutter a lot this season, focusing on it. I’ve been trying to throw my fastball faster, so my cutter has gotten faster,” he explained.
His fastball’s top speed of 143 mph after 27 pitches is almost unchanged.
Depending on the situation, this can be an advantage or a disadvantage. The key is the pin-point delivery.
“If the command is right, it’s an advantage, but if it’s not, there’s a chance of getting hit by a fastball. In the end, you have to have good command,” he said. 안전카지노사이트