William Cuevas, the winner of the KBO League last season, is shaking.
KT Wiz foreign pitcher Cuevas started the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on the 4th, but became a losing pitcher with three hits and two outs in one inning.
Cuevas started off by giving up a walk to leadoff hitter Park Min-woo in the first inning but allowed Matt Davidson to walk. Cuevas, who had an RBI double from Kwon Hee-dong, gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to Kim Sung-wook. He was followed by timely hits by Kim Hui-jip and Chun Jae-hwan.안전놀이터
KT’s bench put up Joey-hyun instead of Cuevas in the bottom of the second inning. One inning is the minimum number of innings for an individual since his debut in the KBO League in 2019.
Cuevas first joined the KBO League in 2019. He recorded 13 wins and 10 losses with a 3.62 ERA in 30 games in the 2019 season, and 10-8 ERA in 27 games in the 2020 season. He had nine wins (five losses) in the 2021 season, but pitched well in the Samsung Lions and the tiebreaker, contributing significantly to his team’s first combined win.
He had to leave due to injury after throwing only two games in the 2022 season, but he made a brilliant comeback last season and had a successful KBO League comeback season with 12 wins, no losses, and a 2.60 ERA in 18 games. Cuevas was the first to win without losing a start.
He got off to a good start this season as well. He had 2.25 ERA in two games in March and 4.15 ERA in April, but he stuck to it amid injury to the starting lineup. He played six or more innings in all five games. In May, he displayed quality start (three earned runs or less in six innings as a starter) and quality start plus (three earned runs or less in seven innings as a starter) in all three games. Cuevas had an ERA of 2.87.
KT Cuevas. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan
However, he has shown lackluster performance since June. He allowed eight hits, three outs and seven runs in five innings against the LG Twins on June 8, and he allowed six hits, one homer, seven outs and eight runs in two innings against the Gwangju KIA Tigers on June 14, showing his worst performance since his KBO League debut. His ERA in June was 8.55.
At the game against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on July 17, he gave three hits, four outs, five strikeouts and one run (non-earned) in six innings, winning five games and winning 50 games overall in the KBO league. He also showed good pitching in five innings (non-earned) against the Suwon SSG Landers on July 24.
However, following a six-inning struggle against the Suwon Hanwha Eagles on July 30, he left the mound in the first inning against the Changwon NC Dinosaurs. He is in his sixth year in the KBO League.
The record for the last 10 games is 2-5 with a 4.42 ERA in 22 games. The loss against Changwon N.C. made him the first pitcher to record a double-digit loss in the league. If he loses just one more game, he will break his personal record of losing the most in a season. That is not a good record.