NC Tanner Turley failed to beat Doosan’s batting lineup in the first game of the wild card decision.
Even though the NC batting line turned the game around, they insisted on Tanner and lost the lead.
Tanner took on the starting role in the first game of the wild card decision against the Doosan Bears of the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason’ held at Changwon NC Park on the 19th.
Tanner’s shoulders became heavy as ace Eric Peddy was unable to appear in the wild card game due to an injury suffered during the game and the mound against KIA on the 16th.
However, Tanner allowed only 7 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, and 5 runs in 4 innings until he was replaced at first and second base with no outs in the 5th inning.
He gave up one home run, three doubles, and four extra-base hits. Lee Jae-hak, who came on as a relief pitcher at 5-3, sent out all of the succession runners, and NC’s lead disappeared, making the score tied at 5-5.
Tanner finished the regular season with a 6-inning, 1-run victory against LG on the 13th and prepared for the postseason.
Tanner was preparing early on to start in the first round of the wild card decision in a situation where there were variables. 안전놀이터
Both my body and mind were focused on fall baseball, but the results did not follow.
NC did not replace Tanner even in the 5th inning, when the score was 5-3.
In the end, the two runners left behind by Tanner both hit home, and the hard-earned lead was lost.
Tanner gave up a run in the first inning. He did well to block the first batter, Jeong Soo-bin, with a fly ball from third base, but sent out the next batter, Kim Jae-ho, with an infield hit from shortstop.
Kim Joo-won followed the batted ball well, but the throw missed, and Kim Jae-ho, as if aware of the ‘walking base running’ controversy, sprinted to first base and became an infield hit.
Tanner was hit by a double from the next batter, Jose Rojas, and was in danger with one out and second and third bases.
Here, instead of catching Yang Eui-ji with a ground ball to shortstop, a score was allowed.
Although they gave up the first run, the pressure was alleviated thanks to Kim Joo-won catching Rojas, the lead runner who was playing third base, with two outs and one on first base.
Tanner ended the first inning by blocking Seok-Hwan Yang with a fly ball to center field.
He even gave up an extra run in the second inning. He hit a left-field hit from leadoff hitter Kang Seung-ho, and a double to right field from the next hitter Kim In-tae.
At this time, Kang Seung-ho penetrated home.
NC’s broadcast play was not perfect, so Kang Seung-ho was able to score without difficulty.
Tanner ended the second inning without allowing any more runs due to a ground ball.
Heo Gyeong-min was caught with a ground ball to first base, and Cho Su-haeng was caught with a ground ball to shortstop.
With 2 outs and 3rd base, Su-bin Jeong was blocked by a pitcher’s ground ball.
In the third inning, with one out and no runner on base, Rojas hit a solo home run over the right wall and gave up a run.
When the next batter, Yang Eui-ji, was sent out with a straight walk, voices calling for a pitcher replacement began to be heard from the stands near first base.
Tanner was in danger with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd base, but ended the inning by blocking Intae Kim with a foul fly to third baseman.
Turley recorded the best OPS per inning during the regular season at 0.373 in the 4th inning.
The fourth inning of the first game of the wild card decision was also the most stable.
After two outs, a walk was allowed to Soo-bin Jeong, but Hyeong-jun Kim’s steal of second base resulted in the third out.
The first base crowd at NC Park, which had been cooling down due to the increasingly widening score gap, boiled over again with enthusiasm.
The NC batting line exploded in the 4th inning attack.
Park Geon-woo’s walk, Kwon Hee-dong’s lucky hit, and Kim Joo-won’s walk gave him a chance to load the bases with two outs.
Seo Ho-cheol’s grand slam and Kim Hyeong-jun’s back-to-back home runs turned the game around 5-3.
The problem was the next defense.
NC pushed through to the 5th inning without replacing Tanner.
However, the situation became strange as Tanner walked Kim Jae-ho and was hit by a left-handed hit from pinch hitter Kim Jae-hwan.
Second pitcher Lee Jae-hak sent both runners in, making the score 5-5.
Pitcher Kim Young-gyu changed again with bases loaded and 2 outs.
Tanner wore the NC uniform this year as a replacement for Taylor Widener (transferred to Samsung).
Not only did he leave a decent record with 5 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.92 in 11 games, but he also made eight quality starts and consistently took responsibility for more than six innings.
He never had a game where he didn’t complete 5 innings.
In the regular season, he made one start against Doosan. On August 20th, his second appearance after the transfer, against Doosan, he earned his first win in the KBO League with 7 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 3 runs (1 earned run) in 6 innings.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said of Tanner ahead of the first game on the 19th, “He is a pitcher who controls strength and weakness and competes with control rather than using velocity.
I think our players have prepared a lot.”
NC coach Kang In-kwon said, “I don’t know what variables will arise, but I know well the importance of the first game.
It’s my first fall at Changwon NC Park, so I have special emotions.
I have to repay the game with a win. I will do my best to win.” However, in the actual game, they were unable to decide when to bring in the second pitcher and gave up the initiative they had taken.