"I was going to use it unconditionally." He finished the game for two consecutive days with a difference of five points and four points. LG's reality and will to commit to extortion

Jul 16, 2024

A game between the LG Twins and the KIA Tigers at Jamsil Stadium on the 9th. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop is in thought. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.09/

LG-Kium match held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 4th. Yoo Young-chan is pitching in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gocheok = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.4/

LG-KIA match held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 19th. LG came from behind to win 7-5. Closer Yoo Young-chan is delighted with catcher Park Dong-won. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.6.19/

The LG Twins won two consecutive games after four consecutive losses in the second half. It won 7-3 against the Hanwha Eagles on the 13th and won 8-4 the next day. It was a comfortable victory, but Yoo Young-chan, who finished both games in the ninth inning, came up to end the game. Not all of them were in save situations, and Yoo Young-chan couldn't even make a save.

It can be said that this is the result of the combination of LG's reality and manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's will to win.

Yoo Young-chan took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a five-run lead of 7-2 on the 13th and ended the game by allowing one run with two hits and four outs. On the 14th, he took the mound again in the bottom of the ninth inning with an 8-4 lead and a double and a walk to the first and second bases, but he finished the game without losing a run.

Even though it wasn't a save situation, I couldn't help but wonder that he posted the finish for two consecutive days.

Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop revealed the reason on the 14th. When asked why he used Yoo Young-chan with a five-point difference on the 13th, Yeom said, `I tried to use it unconditionally. I thought it would be better to raise (Yoo) Young-chan right away than to send one or two runners after another pitcher"I wasn't going to score a 7-point difference, but it was a 5-point difference, so I asked to raise it unconditionally. I don't know if I had a clear pitcher.... I used up all the pitchers before him."

LG Kim Jin-sung is pitching hard in a game between LG and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 31st. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2024.05.31/

LG-Kium match held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 2nd. Jung Woo-young took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning and allowed a turnaround. Gocheok = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.2/

LG seemed to have effectively ended the game by leading 7-0 until the seventh inning due to Son Joo-young's six scoreless innings in the game on the 13th. However, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Baek Seung-hyun was sluggish and complicated. Jung Woo-young, who took the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning, suddenly went down above his elbow, and Kim Jin-sung finished the inning, so there was no suitable must-win pitcher. After Jung Ji-heon blocked the eighth inning, manager Yeom decided to keep the victory by raising closing Yoo Young-chan even by five points, not in a save situation to stop his fourth consecutive loss. It was because it was more important than anything else to break the four-game losing streak.

The same goes for the 14th. With Kelly's good pitching leading 8-2 with four points in the top of the seventh inning and three points in the top of the eighth inning, he was hit with a two-run shot by Chae Eun-sung in the bottom of the eighth inning. He came into range with a 4-point gap of 8-4.

I had to think about being able to prepare for six consecutive games with top-ranked teams such as SSG Landers, ranked fifth, and Doosan Bears, tied for third, in a good atmosphere next week. In the end, Yoo Young-chan, a clear card, was posted again, and Yoo Young-chan was in crisis, but he blocked the game without losing a point and kept the victory.

Currently, the LG bullpen can be seen as the most difficult situation of this season. Except for Kim Jin-sung and Yoo Young-chan, most bullpen pitchers have severe ups and downs, making it difficult to expect stability.

Just as the starter drew a long inning like he won two consecutive games against Hanwha, the batters burst and gave up a lot of points, and the bullpen needs time to find confidence by throwing in the spare. Fortunately, the starting lineup is stable and the batting line is improving. If left-handed Lim Joon-hyung, who is discharged from Sangmu and immediately comes to the first team, pitches as expected, he will be able to ease his anxiety.

indyk@sportschosun.com