The save king and the hold king are shaken. But the LG Twins back door is sturdy. It is thanks to the trio of Ham Deok-ju (28), Yoo Young-chan (26), and Park Myung-geun (19), who have distinct personalities.
Last year, LG ranked first in salvation ERA (2.89). In the center was Go Woo-seok, the finisher, and Jung Woo-young, the setup man. With a fast ball in the mid-150 km/h range, Go Woo-seok took first place in saves (42) and Jung Woo-young took first place in holds (35). LG’s victory was firmly ‘fixed’.토스카지노
But this year is different. Go Woo-seok recorded 2 saves and an average ERA of 6.35 in 6 games and went down to the 2nd group. Jung Woo-young posted 6 holds in 16 games, but lost as many as 4 times. That’s shocking considering he only suffered 3 losses all season. His earned run average is also 5.54, the highest since his debut.
Ko Woo-seok suffered a shoulder injury just before the opening of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. In the end, he didn’t even throw a single ball in the tournament. Ko Woo-seok, who completed rehabilitation in the 2nd group, joined the 1st group belatedly on the 18th of last month. He reported a splendid comeback by striking out three batters in a row.
However, in the match against the KIA Tigers on April 30, Ko Woo-seok allowed 4 runs, including 3 runs from Socrates. Including the successor runners, a whopping 6 runners made the home run. His highest velocity was 144 km/h, 10 km away from normal. In the end, he was diagnosed with back muscle pain and was excluded from the entry the next day.
Jung Woo-young also could hardly throw because his physical condition did not improve at the WBC. Fortunately, he recovered the 150 km range in his first appearance, and on April 8, against the Samsung Lions, he recorded the youngest 100 hold. However, three days later, he started to falter starting with the Lotte Giants match. In the match against Kiwoom on the 10th, he took the mound in the 7th inning with a 1-0 lead, took only 1 out and allowed 3 runs, which was the beginning of a great defeat.
Jung Woo-young made subtle changes to his slide step last winter (raising his legs slightly to quickly take the pitching motion when there are runners). It was because his pitching form was so great that he had difficulty keeping runners in check. He also tried to lower his two-seam fastball rate, which is over 90%. It is unknown whether the two changes were the cause, but his speed and pitch are not as good as last year.
Despite the departure of the two, the LG salvation team is enduring. Although not as strong as last year, he ranked third in average ERA (3.91). He won 19 of the 20 games leading up to the 7th inning. Catch the ‘game to catch’. Thanks to this, he has been consistently in the lead since the beginning of the season.
At the center is a ‘new face’. Park Myeong-geun, a rookie high school graduate, and Yoo Young-chan, a fourth-year college graduate. Sidearm Park Myung-geun is 1m74cm tall and weighs 72kg. He is small for a professional player. However, he throws a ball as fast as 150 km per hour. Above all, his pitching motion is fast. His quick motion is so good that batters say, “There is almost no preparation movement.” It is difficult for runners as well as batters to aim for gaps. He appeared in 16 games and had a 3.07 earned run average with 1 win, 2 saves and 3 holds.
Yoo Young-chan graduated from Konkuk University in 2020 and joined the team in the 43rd overall. Yoo Young-chan, who joined the military immediately that winter, grew rapidly after being discharged last summer. His velocity is in the late 140km range, but he throws a powerful ball in a soft pitching form. The perfection of his sliders and splitters is also high. 17 games, 1 loss, 4 holds, ERA 4.19. Although it was sluggish in the match against Kiwoom on the 10th (3 runs in 0 innings), it was scoreless in 5 of the last 6 games.
There are players who stand out after two years of joining. It is Hamdeokju. Ham Deok-joo wore the LG uniform through a 2-2 trade with Doosan in 2021. The main goal was to get Yang Seok-hwan, a powerful right-handed first baseman for Doosan, and Ham Deok-joo, a national left-hander for LG. However, unlike Yang Seok-hwan, who wielded a strong blow after the transfer, Ham Deok-joo suffered from injuries and sluggishness.
Ham Deok-joo, who is desperate, showed a different side of himself this year. After the opening, LG won its first win of the season with 2 scoreless innings against KT on April 2nd, and is continuing a good fight. He pitched in 19 games, the most on the team, posting a 2.08 earned run average with 2 wins, 2 saves and 5 holds. The three players have different types of sidearm, orthodox right-hander, and left-hander, respectively, creating a synergistic effect. If Koh Woo-seok and Jung Woo-yeong find their true self, the LG bullpen can become stronger than last year.