SEOUL — Lachlan Wells pitched eight innings of one-hit ball for the LG Twins on Wednesday, but the Australian left-hander was denied a chance at his first career complete-game shutout when the team turned to its closer in the ninth inning.
Wells, who threw just 84 pitches, struck out a season-high seven batters and allowed only one hit as the Twins beat the Hanwha Eagles 3-0 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The 27-year-old improved to 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA.
After the game, Wells said he wanted to finish what he started. "I wanted to go out there for the ninth," he told reporters. "I haven't had a complete game shutout before so it's something that obviously is a pretty cool achievement. But just to go out there and put the team in a position to win, and we did that."
The Twins, nursing a three-run lead, brought in closer You Young-chan, who struck out two batters to seal the win. Wells said he pleaded his case with pitching coach Kim Kwang-sam but was overruled. "I said to Sam that I wanted to go back out there, and if we had scored in the bottom of the eighth, I would have gone back out there," Wells explained.
Had Wells completed the game, he would have recorded a "Maddux" — a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches, named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, who had 13 such performances since pitch tracking began in 1988. Wells threw 41 four-seam fastballs, 23 changeups, 14 curveballs and six sliders, according to the team.
Manager Youm Kyoung-youb explained the decision to pull Wells, saying (according to Yonhap) that the team prioritized securing the win. The Twins have been cautious with their pitching staff, especially with closer You Young-chan available and the game close.
The win was the Twins' third straight, improving their record to 14-6-0. The Eagles, who entered the game ranked second in the KBO in team batting average, fell to 8-12-0.
Song Chan-eui provided the offensive spark. The 27-year-old outfielder, playing in just his third game of the season, hit a two-run home run off starter Wang Yan-Cheng in the bottom of the second inning. Song, who has spent more time in the minors than with the KBO club, was called up earlier this week after outfielder Hong Chang-ki fell into a slump. Song also drove in two runs in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Eagles.
Song's home run was his first of the season and seventh of his career. He has logged over 300 games in the Futures League but only 131 KBO games.
The Eagles threatened in the fourth inning, putting two runners on with a single and a walk, but cleanup hitter Kang Baek-ho flied out and Moon Hyun-bin was picked off first base by catcher Park Dong-won to end the rally.
The Twins added a run in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 3-0.
Wells, who was signed as a bullpen option but has started three games due to an injury to starter Son Ju-young, has a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings in those starts. Son is expected to return by the end of April, at which point Wells will move to a swingman role.
Yonhap reported that Son will begin playing catch Friday.
In other injury news, Yonny Chirinos received an injection in his elbow and is expected to be out for at least a month, according to a report.
The Twins will look to extend their winning streak on Thursday.