Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Park Chan-ho throws to the plate during the 13th inning of a Major League Baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Friday in Los Angeles. / AP-Yonhap |
By Jonathan Sanfilippo
Staff Reporter
Park Chan-ho waited nearly two years since the last time he was the winning pitcher in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. He played for a few different teams. He suffered some injuries. He even spent time in the minor leagues.
But through all the struggles, he never gave up hope that one day he would return to the big leagues and earn another victory.
Park's persistence finally paid off on Friday night, when the South Korean hurler broke his winless drought by pitching the final three innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 8-7 victory against the Colorado Rockies in a game that lasted 13 innings and more than 4 1/2 hours at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
``I am very excited tonight,'' Park said on the Dodgers' Web site. ``I haven't won a game since before my (stomach surgery). It's been almost two years and with the kind of year I had last year (released twice), it's hard to believe I'd win another major league game. I just kept dreaming and never gave up, and I came back to the major leagues, and it makes me so happy for me and my family and the fans back in Korea.''
After taking the mound with the score tied 7-7 at the start of the 11th inning, Park held the Rockies scoreless for three innings. The 34-year-old right-hander allowed two hits and two walks with no strikeouts, but also induced a double play and retired the final four batters he faced.
The game finally ended in the bottom of the 13th, when the Dodgers' Russell Martin hit a sacrifice fly with one out to drive in Matt Kemp for the winning run, giving Park his first MLB victory since he pitched for the San Diego Padres in a 7-3 win against the Dodgers on July 25, 2006.
Friday's win was the latest chapter in a career filled with ups and downs for Park, who has a 114-88 record and a 4.38 ERA in 14 major league seasons, including has a 1-0 mark with a 3.00 ERA in eight appearances this year.
After beginning his professional career with the Dodgers in 1994, Park emerged as one of the team's best starting pitchers and even played for the National League (NL) in the 2001 All-Star Game. But he left the Dodgers as a free agent in 2002 to sign with the Texas Rangers and struggled in stints with the Rangers (2002-2005), Padres (2005-2006) and New York Mets (2007), before spending most of last season in the minor leagues.
Looking to revive his career, Park signed again with the Dodgers last fall but was considered a longshot to make the team when he entered the spring camp. However, after pitching impressively during the spring, he eventually earned a roster spot as a reliever and likely improved his chances of remaining in the big leagues with his win on Friday.
jonsanfilippo@koreatimes.co.kr
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김정은 軍에 선물도 父 답습…쌍안경·소총
