Heroes' pitcher shrugs off teammates' errors

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- Tyler Eppler was the hard-luck loser for the Kiwoom Heroes in a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason game Monday night, with the defense behind him making three errors while he was on the mound for just three innings against the LG Twins.

The Twins scored four runs off Eppler, but three of them were unearned runs in their 6-3 victory. The Twins scored three of their first four runs off Kiwoom's errors.

A day after the Heroes dropped that opening game of the best-of-five series, Eppler shrugged off those miscues as part of baseball.

"I think guys are trying a little too hard to make plays and that's just how baseball goes," Eppler told Yonhap News Agency at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "We've just got to relax and play the same game we've been playing all year. Good defense is what got us here. I just think we need to take a step back and calm down a little bit and I think everything will be fine."

The Heroes were also sloppy in Eppler's previous postseason start last Wednesday against the KT Wiz. The major difference was that, despite their three errors, the Heroes outscored their defensive issues and won the game 9-2.

"I make bad pitches sometimes and those guys make a heck of a play behind me and bail me out of it," Eppler said. "So when those guys make mistakes, I try my best to bail them out on those. That's just how baseball works and we try to pick each other up."

Eppler, who threw 47 pitches Monday and could be available out of the bullpen later in the series, said he will try to keep things simple on the mound.

"I've played baseball since I was 5 years old, and nothing has changed about the game of baseball," Eppler said. "That's the thing I try to remember when I'm out there on the mound. Don't make it any bigger than it needs to be. It's still the same game of baseball."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)