“I told Coach Seo that I would throw a 100-pitch complete game today, but I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise!”

Kia Tigers’ Thomas Pannoni smiled broadly.

Panoni pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings in Game 3 of the weekend series against the Lotte Giants at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Tuesday.

After giving up back-to-back hits in the first and second innings, he settled down in the third. He threw 98 pitches until the bottom of the seventh inning. KIA won the game 6-3 and earned their first win of the season. It is only three games after returning to the KBO.

After the game, Panoni said, “I’m happy that the game went as I prepared it today. I’m happy that the team won today, and I’m even happier that we swept the series,” he smiled.

“I had a little bit of a long first and second inning, but I took it one pitch at a time. In the third inning, I got into my groove and got through it with ease and less pitches, so it was an encouraging day in that regard, and I’m glad to have our bats behind me.” 꽁머니

In the top of the sixth inning, with runners on first and second, Panoni discussed the pitch mix with Tae-gun Kim on the mound. “The next batter was a lefty (Park Seung-wook), so we talked about not being too honest in the count and giving him as many good pitches as possible,” Panoni said.

Kia manager Kim Jong-kook was careful to manage his pitch count after Pannoni’s return, throwing 76 and 88 pitches before finally reaching 100. He said, “I have no problem with 100 pitches now. Even today, I told Coach Seo, ‘I’m going to finish nine innings with 100 pitches,’ and I didn’t,” he said with a wry smile.

“I want to win as many games as I can, and I think I can go higher than last year, and I’ll try to shut them down like a bulldog.”