There is no answer to the bullpen session. However, I got a hint as an unexpected situation occurred. LG is targeting the autumn baseball stage by destroying its position.
The team has left open all possibilities in the composition of the mound. This is a cliché, but it is true. “We have confirmed two candidates, Son Joo-young and Choi Won-tae. However, we don’t know what will happen to the three,” LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said on Monday regarding the starting lineup for the postseason.
Going to hell and heaven in a doubleheader on Monday heralded a significant change. On the day, LG’s first-round starter Elijah Hernandez hit a head shot to Hur Kyung-min in the first inning. According to the regulation, LG only posted five pitches before leaving the game. LG faced a forced bullpen day from the first game and lost 7-14 after a batting game. 스포츠토토
The second game was the opposite. Starting pitchers Son Joo-young and Kim Min-kyu from Doosan Bears both performed well. Notably, Son overwhelmed Doosan’s batters with 14 hits, including three homers, in the first game with seven scoreless innings. Then, Hernandez played the middle pitcher in the eighth inning and posted two scoreless innings of saves. “I changed my strategy from the moment I hit a head shot in the first inning of Game 1. After using up the middle pitcher in the first game, I decided to use Hernandez as the second pitcher in the second game,” Yeom said.
It is not the first time that Hernandez will take the mound as an intermediate pitcher. Hernandez also took the mound as an intermediate pitcher at the game against KT Corp. on Aug. 29. He pitched one inning without allowing a single lost point. He moved between the big leagues and minor leagues in the U.S. this year, and was a starter and a bullpen pitcher. LG considered Hernandez to be able to play in both positions. As the bullpen has been struggling throughout the season, he used Hernandez as an intermediate pitcher in line with the situation.
Such appointments can be re-examined in the postseason. In general, the team has four or as few as three postseason starters. There are many cases where starting pitchers in the first and second games are waiting in the bullpen. In other words, Hernandez deserves to be an all-weather card in fall baseball.
“Ans, Hernandez and Lim Chan-kyu can all move back and forth between starters and starters in the postseason. We don’t know how the three players will change their positions in the postseason,” Yeom said. “We will look at the opponent’s record, series situation, and game flow. Strategically, we will find the best way to maximize our power. That’s inevitable given the bullpen structure.”
LG aims to secure the third place. The best scenario is that the team should quickly confirm the third place to prepare for the semi-playoff (semi-PO) stage. The team is preparing a scenario to overcome its weakness, the bullpen, with starting pitchers ahead of the semi-PO. The team has decided not to let the bullpen, which ranks ninth in this category with an earned run average of 5.32 as of Tuesday. The starting pitcher will take the lead with boldness to fill the bullpen.
“In the postseason, the starting pitcher can either play a long relief or make a save. It is also possible for the starting pitcher to throw the ball to the end of the game after closing pitcher Yoo Young-chan comes out in the middle of the game,” Yeom said. “I have a lot of thoughts in my head right now, but I will discuss it with the coaching staff after the season ends. Depending on the opponent team, we need to decide which of the starters will be more effective to go to the middle through meetings.”