Seoul: After tossing seven effective innings against the Doosan Bears on Tuesday in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kiwoom Heroes ace Raul Alcantara now owns a miniscule 0.95 ERA against his former team over 19 innings. Alcantara pitched for the Bears in 2020 and again from 2023 to 2024, before elbow problems cut his season short in July. It wasn't an amicable parting, with then Bears manager Lee Seung-yuop openly questioning Alcantara's decision to go for a second opinion in the United States after a series of tests done in South Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Alcantara returned to the KBO this year healthy, signing with the Heroes in May. He marked his KBO return with six scoreless innings against the Bears on June 1. He held them to two earned runs in six innings 13 days later, and then on Tuesday, he gave up just one unearned run in the Heroes' 4-1 victory at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

"I don't know. I try to do the same thing that I do against other teams," Alcantara said with a smile when asked about his strong record against the Bears. "But I feel pretty great about that."

In Tuesday's game, Alcantara threw 70 of his 91 pitches for strikes. He offered 53 four-seam fastballs, 25 splitters and 13 sliders at Doosan hitters and recorded three strikeouts without walking anyone. Alcantara overcame his own throwing error that led to the Bears' lone run in the bottom of the first inning, and allowed just four hits over the next six frames. "I just forgot about the error," Alcantara said. "I tried to keep pitching well and give the team a chance to come back and score a couple of runs."

Alcantara improved to 8-2 and lowered his ERA from 3.35 to 3.14. With two more starts left this season, Alcantara will take a crack at reaching double figures in wins. "I will just keep the same plan and prepare for the next game," he said. "If I win 10 games, I will be glad. But if not, I'll be fine, too."

Numbers aside, the Dominican right-hander said he is just happy to be back in the KBO. "Last year, I left because of my elbow pain, but this year, I am great and my arm is great," he said. "I am pitching really well and I am super happy."