Hanwha Eagles cut ties with starting pitcher Wilkel Hernandez

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) -- The Hanwha Eagles announced Sunday they have cut ties with starting pitcher Wilkel Hernandez.

In his first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, Hernandez went 3-6 with a 4.92 ERA in 16 starts.

The Venezuelan right-hander, the Eagles' Opening Day starter on March 28, stumbled out of the gate, posting a 5.72 ERA over his first six starts through April.

He pitched better in May, when he put up a 2.70 ERA over four starts with 20 strikeouts in 20 innings. But Hernandez failed to build on that momentum in June and July.

Hernandez was pulled after just 1 1/3 innings on July 4. Then on Saturday, his first start after the All-Star break, he was automatically ejected for hitting an opposing batter, Matt Davidson of the Kiwoom Heroes, in the head with a fastball in the first inning.

The Eagles had signed Hernandez and another foreign pitcher, Owen White, during the offseason to replace their top two starters from a season ago, Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss, both of whom signed with major league clubs. While White has mostly held his own, with a 5-5 record and a 3.09 ERA, Hernandez fell short of expectations.

The Eagles have lost all three games following the midseason break, and with a record of 40-43-2 (wins-losses-ties), they trail the Doosan Bears by 3 1/2 games for the fifth and final postseason spot.

The Eagles were the runners-up to the LG Twins in the Korean Series last year.