Brothers' Luo Gō credits curveball for success in Taiwan

Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) foreign pitcher Luo Gō showcased his best form on Sunday, pitching seven scoreless innings to lead the CTBC Brothers to a 7-0 shutout victory over the Wei Chuan Dragons. The win also snapped the Brothers' nine-game losing streak against the Dragons.

Luo Gō, who has struggled at times this season, displayed impressive control, allowing only five hits and striking out five batters without issuing any walks. This strong outing marked his third consecutive win and fifth victory in his last six starts, extending his streak of scoreless innings to two games.

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This curveball is the pitch that allowed me to come to Taiwan to develop.

Speaking after the game, Luo Gō expressed gratitude for his recent success, attributing it to his physical well-being and divine guidance. He specifically highlighted the development of his curveball, calling it the "key pitch" that facilitated his move to Taiwan. "This curveball is the pitch that allowed me to come to Taiwan to develop," he stated.

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I am a pitcher who needs to imagine before executing. I call my own pitches, it has nothing to do with the catcher. It's just that I can imagine it in my mind and then execute it, so I've been calling my own pitches since my last start.

Luo Gō also revealed that he has been self-calling pitches for his last two starts. He explained that he needs to visualize his throws before executing them, a process that works independently of the catcher. "I am a pitcher who needs to imagine before executing," he said. "I call my own pitches, it has nothing to do with the catcher. It's just that I can imagine it in my mind and then execute it, so I've been calling my own pitches since my last start."

Brothers manager Hirano Yoshikazu praised Luo Gō's performance, noting the effectiveness of his curveball and the addition of a splitter in the later innings, which made him unpredictable for hitters. "He threw his curveball very well today, and added a splitter in the latter half, making it harder for batters to predict and judge," Hirano said. "Both sides sent foreign pitchers, so it's good that we could win against them."

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He threw his curveball very well today, and added a splitter in the latter half, making it harder for batters to predict and judge. Both sides sent foreign pitchers, so it's good that we could win against them.