'It was a touching moment for a foreigner's team first, but...' He lost the first game with 87 pitches and 3 runs → The fighting spirit for three days off also went up in smoke. In Game 4, four runs in 3.1 innings and another loss

Oct 09, 2024

The game between KT Wiz and LG Twins in Game 4 of the semi-playoff at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. LG starter Ence is catching his breath after finishing the third inning. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.09/

The game between KT Wiz and LG Twins in Game 4 of the semi-playoff at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. LG Ens is pitching hard. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.09/

LG and KT's semi-PO Game 4 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 9th. LG starter Ence is pitching. Suwon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.10.9/

Starting after three days off, which is difficult for even domestic pitchers to do. The foreign pitcher readily accepted it and pitched his fighting spirit, but the result was disappointing.

LG Twins foreign pitcher Detrick Ens is on the verge of losing again.

In Game 4 of the semi-playoff against KT Wiz at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 9th, N.S. started and recorded six hits (one home run), two walks, three strikeouts and four runs in three ⅓ innings. The team is 3-4 and on the verge of losing.

Ence also became a losing pitcher in Game 1. Throwing five ⅓ innings, he allowed five hits (one home run), two walks, six strikeouts, and three runs, and lost 2-3 because the batters did not explode. The first two-run shot hit by Moon Sang-chul in the top of the second inning was painful.

If he wins Game 1, he is already scheduled to play Game 4 if he wins Game 5 and loses, and Ence, who threw 87 in Game 1, is ready for Game 4.

The key point for LG was how long Ence, who will start again after taking a three-day break for the first time, will stop him. Since only Kim Jin-sung and Yoo Young-chan Hernandez are pitchers in the must-win group, it was necessary for Ence to block more than five innings and make a comfortable score difference by bursting the lineup.

But it was baseball that didn't go my way.

Ence, who gave up a walk to Jang Sung-woo after two outs in the bottom of the first inning but got off to a good start by catching Kang Baek-ho with a ground ball in front of the first base, hit a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning when Kim Hyun-soo and Park Hae-min took the mound with a 2-0 lead. Moon Sang-chul, who gave up a home run in the first game, hit another home run. In the first game, he gave up a home run on a 151km fastball, but this time, a 131km change-up became a mistake in the middle and a home run was hit. He got a left-handed hit by Bae Jeong-dae after one out, but struck out Oh Yoon-seok and handled Shim Woo-joon with a ground ball in front of the shortstop.

The game between KT Wiz and LG Twins in Game 4 of the semi-playoff at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. LG starter Ence is encouraging the fielders after the third inning. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.09/

The game between KT Wiz and LG Twins in Game 4 of the semi-playoff at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. LG starter Ence is coming down from the mound with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.09/

At the bottom of the third inning, Kim Min-hyuk was finished with a fly to left field, Rojas grounded out in front of shortstop, and Jang Sung-woo struck out for the first time. With Moon Sung-joo's timely hit in the top of the fourth inning, Ence, who went into the bottom of the fourth inning with a 3-1 and two-run lead, started with a crisis after being hit by a double from the leader Kang Baek-ho on the right-field line. It was important to face Moon Sang-chul, who gave up a home run in his first at-bat. After consecutive fouls in the advantageous count of 1B2S, he struck out swinging with a fastball of 150km on the 6th pitch and succeeded in revenge.

But afterwards was the problem. As the ball went over 60 pitches, KT hitters intensively. Ence, who was chased 3-2 after giving up one run by Hwang Jae-kyun's left-handed hit, was hit by Bae Jeong-dae's right-handed hit, leading to a crisis of 1st and 3rd bases, and Oh Yoon-seok's left-handed hit allowed a 3-3 tie. Shim Woo-joon even allowed a straight walk, loading the bases with one out.

In the end, the replacement was made. Kim Jin-sung came up. Kim Min-hyuk was caught with a short fly to right field, but the third baseman's allocation team ran home, and right fielder Hong Chang-ki's throw came a little to the side, making it a safe 3-4. In the ensuing crisis with two outs and runners on the second and third bases, he allowed a walk to Rojas to load the bases again, but he struck out Jang Sung-woo with a swing and miss to prevent additional runs. Ence's loss ended with four points.

Ence hit the maximum fastball speed of 153 kilometers on the day. He threw 72 pitches and had 30 fastballs, 22 changeups, 15 cutters, 1 curve, and 1 slider to compete with KT batters. It was good until the third inning, but the aftermath of the three-day rest affected the stamina.

indyk@sportschosun.com