Kiwoom Heroes’ Eric Yokishi (34) can’t seem to get out of his slump.
Yokishi took the mound against the LG Twins in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 6th, giving up six runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4⅔ innings.
After being hit by a pitch in the top of the first inning, Yokishi got off to a good start by striking out Hong Chang-ki and preventing Moon from stealing second. However, he gave up a triple to leadoff hitter Austin Dean and an RBI single by Park Dong-won in the second inning.토토사이트
After giving up singles to Kim Bum-seok and Shin Min-jae in the third inning, Yokishi was hit by back-to-back singles from Austin and Park Dong-won in the fourth inning to put runners on first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Moon Bo-kyung put runners on second and third, but Yokishi eventually gave up a two-run double to Oh Ji-hwan. A single by Kim Min-sung put runners on first and third, but he gave up a sacrifice fly to Kim Bum-seok.
Yokishi got two outs in the fifth inning, but a single by Park Dong-won and a double by Moon Bo-kyung put runners on second and third. After giving up a double to Oh Ji-hwan, Yokishi was replaced by Lee Myung-jong to end the inning. Lee struck out Kim Min-sung to put out the flames. However, the damage was done and Kiwoom lost 1-9.
Yokishi, who joined Kiwoom in 2019, is currently the KBO’s longest-serving foreign player, along with Casey Kelly (LG), who he faced earlier in the day. However, he has struggled a bit this season, going 5-3 with a 4.39 ERA in 12 games (65⅔ innings).
Even more concerning is that Yokishi’s performance has deteriorated as the season has progressed. After a solid April with three wins and a 3.41 ERA in five games (29 innings), Yokishi faltered in May, going 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA in six games (32 innings). In his first start of June, he didn’t make it out of the fifth inning before giving up a bunch of runs, raising his ERA to 11.57. His season ERA increased from 3.84 to 4.39.
Now in his fifth season in the KBO, Yokishi’s velocity has dropped slightly from last season. After topping out in the low 140 mph range, Yokishi’s fastball was only 145 mph on the day, with an average of 143 mph. He’s never been a 150+ mph pitcher, but the drop in velocity has led to a noticeable increase in his strikeout rate.
However, his strikeout rate did not drop significantly. He still has a sharp delivery that doesn’t give up many walks. After a rough start in his first game in June, Yokishi will be looking to rebound for the rest of the season.