In the game against NC at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on March 3, starting pitcher David Buchanan was trying to stay on the mound as long as possible.
Buchanan made it to the seventh inning with two outs before handing the mound over to Woo Gyu-min. Thanks to the starter’s longevity, Samsung was able to preserve the 6-1 win with just two bullpen arms, Woo Gyu-min (1.1 innings) and Oh Seung-hwan (1 inning).메이저놀이터
Buchanan recently took some time off due to gallbladder symptoms. He pitched seven innings of two-run ball (non-decision) against Hanwha on March 22, throwing 116 pitches on the mound before getting some rest.
Buchanan has been plagued by nagging injuries this season, missing one start on June 8 with pain in the back of his right hand and another on July 21 with right knee soreness just before his scheduled start at home against KT.
Upon his return, Buchanan battled back for his team. In the second inning, he reached on an error by fellow shortstop Lee Jae-hyun that allowed leadoff hitter Park Gun-woo to score, then gave up a double to Oh Young-soo and a single to Do Tae-hoon to load the bases. He got Kim Joo-won to fly out to center field to save a run, but then got Seo Ho-chul to fly out to right field on a curveball to end the inning.
“We’ve had a lot of bullpen guys lately, so I felt like I had to take charge of the long innings,” Buchanan said.
Samsung used six bullpen pitchers in the second game of the NC after starter Won Tae-in left the mound after two innings. In the previous day’s game, Choi Chae-heung only lasted two innings, so the bullpen was tired.
Buchanan said that in order to extend his innings as long as possible, he “thought about going long and throwing fewer pitches, even if it meant giving up a run, rather than going all out.” He was able to do his job with 97 pitches.
Buchanan, who joined the KBO in 2020 with Samsung, is a veteran outfielder in his fourth year. In 2020, he went 15-7 to erase the memory of Samsung’s pitching nightmare, and in 2021, he led the team in wins with 16 (5).
Buchanan continued his double-digit win streak last year with 11 wins (8 losses) and needs one more win to reach 10 wins this season. As of April 4, Buchanan is 9-6 with a 2.78 ERA in 24 games.
Recently, Buchanan had a personal boost: His twin sisters pitched and batted for him against Daegu NC on April 2. “They’re here in Korea and having a great time,” Buchanan said. That gives me a lot of strength. It was a big boost today, too.”