Before the third game of the semifinals between NC and SSG on the 25th, the SSG pitchers were warming up with a short game of catch. It was as if they were mentally preparing for the all-out battle to come.

After losing both Game 1 and Game 2 at home, SSG added Kim Kwang-hyun, who started Game 2, and Moon Seung-won, who pitched a lot in relief, to the roster for Game 3. Considering the number of pitches and rest periods, it was physically difficult for them to play. SSG manager Kim Won-hyung added, “Elias is also difficult to pitch in Game 3.” However, Roenis Elias, 35, was playing catch with more effort than his teammates. He threw with all his might. He seemed confident in his preparation for Game 4.

Elias pitched eight innings of two-run ball in Game 1 of the semifinals at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 22. Although the team lost the game in the eighth inning after a two-run homer by pinch-hitter Kim Sung-wook, no one could blame Elias for his batting silence. He kept the NC bats at bay by throwing fastballs over 150 kilometers per hour, and he did so aggressively. As a result, no pitcher between Doosan and SSG has shut down the NC bats as well as Elias this fall.

However, as SSG lost Game 3 at Changwon NC Park on the 25th and were eliminated from the series, Elias’ promising season came to an end. The question now is whether we’ll see Elias’ late-season flameout again next year. At this point, the outlook is mixed: maybe, maybe not.

SSG said goodbye to both Wilmer Font and Shawn Morimando, who were foreign pitchers last year and helped the team win the combined title. Technically, Font left Korea on his own accord, and Morimando was not signed by SSG; instead, the team filled the two spots by drafting Ernie Romero as their new ace and then adding Kirk McCarty, a lefty with high upside.

However, Romero was sidelined from camp in Okinawa with shoulder pain. They gave him a lot of time, but he would often stop pitching due to anxiety. It was Elias who was brought in as a replacement, knowing that the injury would not heal in a short period of time and that even if he did, it would be difficult to get him back to 100%. It was clear that he was on the downside of his career, but he still had a pretty spectacular 22-win season in 2014, including 10 wins at the major league level. The $800,000 (roughly $1.1 billion) that was spent on Romero had to be made up for with Elias. 토토사이트

Elias struggled early on in the KBO. He had a fastball, but it was simple. His fastball and changeup had too little velocity difference. Through his first 10 games, he had a 4.19 ERA, which wasn’t what we expected. However, as he adjusted to the KBO, his pitches gradually improved. Since August 9, Elias has pitched 73⅓ innings in 12 games (11 starts) with a respectable 3.31 ERA.

He’s had some ups and downs from game to game, but has been praised for his consistent innings. He basically throws six innings.