Seoul: With his job security seemingly getting more tenuous by the day, Lotte Giants starter Charlie Barnes twirled a gem Tuesday that could help him turn the corner. Barnes held the Kiwoom Heroes to a run over seven innings in the Giants' 9-3 win at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the American pitcher, now in his fourth Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, entered Tuesday's game with a 2-4 record and an uncharacteristic 5.67 ERA after six starts. Previously, Barnes had pitched to a 3.42 ERA over his first three seasons. After a rough outing against the Hanwha Eagles last Wednesday, where he allowed six runs on six hits and four walks in five innings, Giants manager Kim Tae-hyoung expressed concerns about Barnes' ability to improve this season.
Before the game, Kim emphasized the need for Barnes to perform like the No. 1 starter, while noting a decline in the velocity of Barnes' pitches. Despite these concerns, Barnes managed to regroup after giving up a solo home run to Ruben Cardenas in the first inning. He did not allow another hit until the seventh inning, showcasing a particularly effective slider to finish all six of his strikeouts.
During the second inning, Barnes induced three groundouts, followed by two strikeouts in the third to overcome a two-out walk. He continued his strong performance with another strikeout in the fourth and two more in the fifth, retiring the side in the sixth with a groundout and two pop flies.
Oh Sun-jin's single in the seventh and subsequent advancement on a passed ball posed a potential threat, but Barnes quickly neutralized it by inducing a groundout from Park Su-jong. By this time, the Giants were comfortably ahead 6-1, eventually adding three more runs to their tally.
Barnes threw a total of 95 pitches, 67 of which were strikes. His pitch selection included 37 sliders, 36 four-seam fastballs, 12 two-seam fastballs, and 10 changeups against the Heroes. In two starts against the Heroes this year, Barnes has maintained a 1.93 ERA, allowing three earned runs over 14 innings, while his ERA against the rest of the KBO stands at 6.49.