The winning team's best hit with the 'National Team Finishing' '3rd place in the 18S, but... ERA 1.821st, Turf Save alone has a whopping six. Second Half Win Default
Jul 09, 2024
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When built-in closer Ko Woo-seok suddenly announced his entry into the U.S. and left, it was considered that the key to winning the title for the second consecutive year would be whether LG's back door could be properly blocked.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop quickly picked Yoo Young-chan for his ball-spraying pitching and boldness to spray his ball without being intimidated in the big game of the Korean Series, and prepared for the regular season through spring camps and exhibition games.
And Yoo Young-chan is in charge of finishing LG even at the beginning of the second half. Yoo Young-chan, who came to the first team for the first time last year and recorded 6 wins, 3 losses, 1 save, 12 holds, and an ERA of 3.44 this season, is in charge of finishing more heavily, showing a good record of 5 wins, 3 losses, 18 saves, and 1 hold.
Samsung Lions Oh Seung-hwan (24 saves) and KIA Tigers Jung Hae-young (21 saves) finished the first half of the season as third in saves. The 1.82 ERA is the best number among the 10 team finishers.
Coach Yeom said Son Joo-young and Yoo Young-chan, five starters, when asked to select MVP at the end of the first half. The reason for choosing Yoo Young-chan was that the bullpen made many multi-inning saves in a difficult situation.
It may be convenient as a save pitcher if he takes the mound in the ninth inning with no runners, but it was not easy for LG to prevent the eighth inning this season as the bullpen weakened. It was more than once that Yoo Young-chan took the mound in the eighth inning and blocked it to win.
Yoo Young-chan, who took the mound in 37 games in the first half, played 11 multi-innings. Of these, eight have made saves. In the match against KIA in Gwangju on June 19, he took the mound with the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 7-3 lead and recorded two innings of saves.
Yoo Young-chan has the most "tough saves" he gets when he takes the mound and saves when there is an equalizer. He has six tough saves, three more than No. 3 Oh Seung-hwan. It means that he kept his team's victory in such an important situation. There are only two Blon saves that have allowed a tie or reversal in the save situation. The number is smaller than Oh Seung-hwan (No. 4) and Jung Hae-young (No. 3).
Manager Yeom said, `There are areas where bullpen pitchers have not grown as expected,' adding, `But this season, I got starting Son Joo-young and closing Yoo Young-chan. Just by raising two players, we have successfully fostered them this season." Yoo Young-chan's goal is 30 saves. It is a situation that can be achieved sufficiently if it maintains its current pace.
LG, which played the first half of the season in the `Betweening Mode' due to the injuries and sluggishness of its main players, is scheduled to start a full-fledged battle for first place in the second half of the year when Choi Won-tae and Oh Ji-hwan return. Yoo Young-chan's save is essential for winning.
indyk@sportschosun.com
