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  KT manager Lee Kang-cheol "Cuevas wanted to pitch in 7th, but stopped"

  Nov 3, 2023

  KT WIZ manager Lee Kang-cheol applauded starting pitcher William Cuevas for his performance in Game 4 of the Korean Baseball Playoffs (PO).

  "Cuevas pitched like an ace, as I thought he would, and we were able to win," Lee said after the 11-2 victory in Game 4 of the PO at Changwon NC Park in Gyeongnam, South Korea on Wednesday. "The bats exploded from the first inning and we played comfortably for the playoffs."

  Cuevas credited his slider with helping him bounce back from a Game 1 loss with a six-hit shutout four days later.

  "The angle of the slider was getting bigger, and it was getting the hitters to swing. In Game 1, it was hard, but today he threw (the slider) at 130 miles per hour."

  Cuevas, who threw 73 pitches, mixed in a cut fastball (23), four-seam fastball (19), two-seam fastball (12), changeup (10) and slider (9).

  Asked if he thought about leaving Cuevas in the game in the seventh inning, Lee said, "I ended up with the right (pitch) count because I had to think about it one more time. He said he was going to throw more, but I stopped him."

  The comments were likely made with Game 1 of the Korean Series on July 7 against the LG Twins in mind.

  Lee strategically did not reveal the starting pitcher for Game 5 of the PO on Friday.

  "You don't have to tell me," Lee said, adding, "We'll see how they're feeling."

  He did praise Anthony Alford and 토토사이트 Byung-ho Park for revitalizing their bats, and Hwang Jae-gyun for making up for a fielding error with a home run.

  After going hitless in Games 1-3 of the playoffs, Alford went 2-for-4, while Byung-ho Park, who was just 2-for-12, went 2-for-5.

  "I kept him (in the lineup) so he could get a feel for it," Lee said, adding, "Byung-ho also got a hit in the first inning, so I think both of them are getting better."

  As for Hwang Jae-gyun, he said, "His mood kept dropping because of his mistakes, but he did a good job in the offense and brightened up (again)."

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