SEOUL– With his latest gem in a high-pressure game, KT Wiz ace William Cuevas burnished his growing reputation as a big-game pitcher on Sunday.
Cuevas held the Doosan Bears to one run over 7 2/3 innings in Game 1 of the Korean Series, as the Wiz prevailed 4-2. He allowed seven hits and struck out eight without walking anyone.
Seven of Cuevas’ eight strikeouts were of the swinging variety: four on curveballs, two on two-seam fastballs and one on a cutter.
Cuevas needed only eight pitches to retire the side in order in the first inning, and got around a leadoff single with a strikeout and a double play.
The Bears had a runner in scoring position for the first time in the third inning, following a single and a sacrifice bunt, but Cuevas retired the next two batters to keep them off the board.
The Bears threatened again in the fourth, with a single and a double putting two aboard with one out. But Cuevas remained sharp under pressure, striking out Yang Suk-hwan on a two-seam fastball and then getting Park Sei-hyok to whiff on a 2-2 cutter.
The Wiz took a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom fourth, but Cuevas gave up his first run on a sacrifice fly in the top fifth. He promptly went back to his efficient self over ensuing innings.
Cuevas hit the first batter of the sixth, Park Kun-woo, who later stole second to get himself into scoring position. But Cuevas struck out the next two batters and retired Park Sei-hyok on a soft fly to left.
Cuevas then worked a three-up, three-down seventh inning on eight pitches.
The Wiz spotted Cuevas a 4-1 lead in the bottom seventh, behind Bae Jung-dae’s solo homer, Hwang Jae-gyun’s RBI groundout and Kang Baek-ho’s two-out single.
Cuevas came back out for the eighth inning, with his pitch count at only 88. He allowed a one-out single to Jose Miguel Fernandez, and after getting the second out of the inning on his 100th pitch, Cuevas was pulled in favor of left-hander Jo Hyun-woo.
Left-handed slugger Kim Jae-hwan was due up, and with Kim having singled and doubled against Cuevas, the Wiz weren’t taking any chances.
Jo did his job by getting Kim to fly out weakly to left field. Closer Kim Jae-yoon gave up a run in the top ninth, but limited further damage to preserve a win for Cuevas.
This game came two weeks after Cuevas had pitched the Wiz to the Korean Series.
On Oct. 31, the Wiz faced the Samsung Lions in a rare tiebreaker game to determine the top spot in the regular season and a direct ticket to the Korean Series. Despite starting on two days’ rest, Cuevas tossed seven shutout innings in a gutsy outing for a 1-0 KT victory.
That win earned the Wiz a two-week break before the championship round. There was little doubt who would get the ball for the Wiz in Game 1, and Cuevas delivered once again.
In his two latest starts, Cuevas pitched as if he weren’t feeling any pressure. He said as much after Sunday’s victory.
“I prepared for this game just like any other regular season contest,” Cuevas said through an interpreter. “If I put too much pressure on myself, then I won’t be able to pitch up to my capabilities. I wanted to stay focused and have fun on the mound.”
The team that won Game 1 of the Korean Series has gone on to capture the title 28 out of 37 times before this year.
This is also the Wiz’s first Korean Series victory in franchise history, which dates back to 2015. They spent their early years at or near the bottom of the standings before surging to their first postseason last year and to the Korean Series this year.
“I am proud of this victory,” Cuevas said. “We have to finish off this series with a title, so that we can return all the love and support we get from our fans.”
Cuevas has been pitching through a personal tragedy since August, when his father died after contracting COVID-19 while visiting his son in South Korea.
After the tiebreaker game on Oct. 31, Cuevas had said his late father had been helping him from above. That remained the case on Sunday, the pitcher said.
“I believe my father is guiding me through these games with invisible hands,” Cuevas said. “Since his passing, I’ve been pitching better than I’d expected out of myself. He always wanted to see me pitch in the Korean Series, and it breaks my heart that he isn’t here. But he’s still helping me along.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency