Brooks Reilly (New York Mets), who led the Lotte Giants’ fall baseball game six years ago, has established himself as a top-ranked major league winner. 

Reilly appeared in relief in the 2023 Major League Baseball away game against the Minnesota Twins held at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 메이저놀이터USA on the 11th (Korean time) and earned a relief win with a perfect pitch with two strikeouts and no runs in one inning. It was the first win in 59 games of the season. 

Reilly took the mound in the 8th inning with the game tied 0-0. The pitching was skillful. After striking out Kyle Palmer, who appeared as a pinch hitter, on three pitches, he struck out Royce Lewis on a fly ball to center field on the first pitch, and struck out Max Kepler again on five pitches, ending the inning. The number of pitches is 9. Without a four-seam fastball, he silenced Minnesota’s cleanup trio by using only breaking balls such as a sinker, changeup, sweeper, and cutter. 

The Mets, riding on Reilly’s good pitching, finally broke the balance at 0 in the 9th inning. Leading off, Francisco Lindor’s double and Jeff McNeil’s bases on a bases-loaded base hit left the team with no outs and runners on first and second base. Pete Alonso only struck out after a missed swing, but DJ Stewart hit a two-run double and became the game-winning hit. Adam Ottavino, who came up after Reilly, finished the game without allowing a run in the 9th inning, and Reilly happily reported his first win of the season. It was a valuable relief that ended the Mets’ three-game losing streak.

[Photo] Brooks Reilly ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)

Reilly played an active part as a long-serving foreign pitcher for Lotte in the KBO League for five years from 2015 to 2019. Early in his debut, he formed a powerful one-two punch with Josh Lindblum, and in 2017, he pitched well with 13 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 3.80, leading Lotte to 3rd place in the regular season at the time. Lotte has not advanced to the postseason since then. Reilly’s overall record for five seasons in the KBO League is 48 wins, 53 losses, and an average ERA of 4.13 in 152 games.

Reilly returned to the major leagues for the first time in seven years in 2020 and played for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays. He had a career high of 1 win, 2 losses, 6 saves, 25 holds, and an ERA of 2.68 in 60 games in Tampa Bay last year, and wore a Mets uniform through a trade in December last year. 

Reilly appears to have firmly established himself in the back door of the major leagues. This year, he is showing off his stability with 1 win, 2 losses, 3 saves, 23 holds, and 3.00 earned run average in 59 games. Although the team’s advancement to the postseason was virtually canceled, Reilly is doing his part in 6th place in the National League’s holds category.

/backlight@osen.co.kr

[Photo] Brooks Reilly ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)