Seoul: The Lotte Giants have put together the best record for April in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), at 14-8-0 (wins-losses-ties), and it has pushed them to fourth place in the crowded standings. But their manager Kim Tae-hyoung wouldn't have known that. "I don't think this is the time of year when you pay attention to your position in the standings," Kim said Tuesday before the Giants faced last-place Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "If you win a couple of games in a row, you will shoot up the standings. And if you lose some games, then you will nosedive. The more important thing for us now is to recognize the current state of our team." That current state includes some early-season woes of their No. 1 starter, Charlie Barnes.
According to Yonhap News Agency, pitching in his fourth KBO season, the American left-hander carried a 2-4 record with a 5.67 ERA into his Tuesday start. He has the most losses on the team and the second-highest ERA in the rotation. In three previous years, Barnes had a 3.42 ERA combined. "Our No. 1 starter has to pitch like a No. 1 starter is supposed to," Kim said. "I think the problem with him is his velocity. His pitches don't have the same zip that they used to. We'll see how he performs today, because we can't expect pitchers to be great every time out."
Barnes has had two outings in which he went seven innings and gave up two or fewer earned runs. Last week, though, Barnes gave up six runs -- two unearned -- on six hits and four walks in five innings against the Hanwha Eagles. Kim said he feels opposing hitters have figured out how to attack Barnes and the pitcher has to adjust in the ongoing cat-and-mouse game.
"Maybe he has to tweak his pitch sequencing in response," the manager said. "He has mostly stuck to the same pattern. Maybe he should try to change the eye levels of hitters." At the end of the day, Kim said he would rather not mess with foreign pitchers too much, noting that Barnes likes to give his own signs from the mound.
"They have their own routines and they can be sensitive about them," Kim said of foreign pitchers in general. "If we leave them alone and they start playing better, then it's all good. If not, then we can always replace them."