There is only one out left until the first win of the debut… 66-pitch rookie pitcher replacement, cold-hearted manager Why?

There was one outcount left until the first win in the major league debut. However, in order to win, the veteran coach made a heartless decision. 

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Peyton Battenfield (26) made his major league debut on the 13th (hereinafter Korean time) against the New York Yankees. He hit a hard hit and pitched surprisingly well with 4 hits, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts and 2 runs (1 earned) in 4⅔ innings. 

He started off with a double hit by Yankees No. 1 Anthony Wolf in the first inning, but struck out for the first time in his debut by taking a swing from Aaron Judge with a cutter. He did not give a single point until the 4th inning, and the other line supported 3 runs, and he was motivated to win from his debut game to the start. 

However, he could not get past the final hurdle in the 5th inning. After one out, Oswaldo Cabrera, Isaiah Cainer-Faleppa, and Kyle Higashioka hit three consecutive hits and gave up two runs. In particular, Higashioka was hit with a home run-like ball that hit the top of the middle fence. In the process, a dizzying situation occurred when second baseman Larry Vernover was hit in the head by second baseman Andres Jimenez’s home throw during relay play and went to the hospital. 

With 1 out and 2nd base, which continued to be chased 3-2, Battenfield induced Arrack Hicks to ground shortstop. There is one outcount left until the starting win requirement. But at that moment, Cleveland manager Terry Francona stepped onto the mound and took over the ball from Battenfield. Although he had only 66 pitches, he made a decision to maintain a one-run lead. 

Nick Sandlin, who came up from 2nd and 2nd base, grounded Anthony Wolff on 3rd base, ending the 5th inning with no additional runs, and coach Francona’s pitcher replacement hit the mark. However, Cleveland, which gave up one run each in the 7th and 9th innings, suffered a 3-4 come-from-behind loss to the Yankees. 

According to ‘Valley Sports Cleveland’, coach Francona said after the game, “Battlefield did really well. He used the cutter very well and mixed the curve appropriately,” he praised, “the last time he threw the ball was 8-9 days ago. He started hitting the ball against the last 4 or 5 batters, and he was replaced because he needed to win the game.” Coach Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships in 2004 and 2007 and won the Manager of the Year award three times, is a master coach who has won 1,881 wins in 23 years. He has been in power for 11 years since 2013 in Cleveland. 

Battenfield, who was called up on the 11th as Aaron Sibail was placed on the injured list with a left oblique sprain, pitched longer than expected and fought hard. Although he was one outcount short of winning the start, he had a maximum of 93.3 miles (150.2 km) and an average of 91.6 miles (147.4 km) with four-seam fastballs (21), cutter (32), curve (12), and change-up (1). . He took 12 missed swings only with his main weapon, the cutter. 

Battlefield said, “I thought I would be nervous as I climbed the mound, but I wasn’t as nervous as I thought. I really enjoyed it. The adrenaline surge was helpful,” he said. 

Battenfield,안전놀이터 who was nominated by the Houston Astros in the 9th round, 286th pick in the 2019 draft, was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in January 2020 and then traded again to Cleveland in July 2021. He grew up in the minor leagues with teams known for developing pitchers well. He narrowly missed a victory in his debut game against the Yankees, but showed potential with stable pitching.