Albert Suarez’s (33) determination has become his trademark.
The Samsung Lions defeated the Doosan Bears 6-1 in the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League on Thursday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Samsung is in seventh place with an 18-22 record in 40 games.
Samsung starter Suarez tossed six scoreless innings of relief. He threw 111 pitches and still managed to go six innings. Suarez locked down the Doosan bats, which have been on a roll lately, and allowed Samsung to play a seesaw game. Eventually, Samsung broke through with a big six-run inning in the top of the eighth.
One of the nicknames for Suarez, who has worn a Samsung uniform since 2022, is “Sukrai. The nickname is a combination of Suarez and krai, which means to bring tears to the eyes, and was coined after he failed to bring home a win despite pitching well.
Suarez was phenomenal in his last season in 2022, posting a 2.49 ERA in 30 games and 173⅔ innings. In those 30 starts, he also had 19 quality starts (6 innings or less) that you would normally expect to result in a win. However, his win-loss record was 6-8, as he either didn’t get run support or had the misfortune of allowing his team to tie or come from behind. It wasn’t Suarez’s fault.스포츠토토
When he signed his contract, Suarez was known to have a win incentive, which surprised some. He famously encouraged his teammates to do the same, even though it meant less money for himself.
Suarez even consoled Lee Jae-hyun after he made a mistake handling a ground ball in his first start on May 11 this season. He also showed determination in the no-decision after throwing 111 pitches that day. Suarez’s determination, even in situations where it is not easy to control his emotions, has become a symbol of his character.
How can you hate a pitcher who pitches like he’s going to die, performs well, and encourages his teammates no matter what? That’s what Suarez is.