Lim Chan-gyu (31) of LG went out as the second pitcher and threw 2 innings against Suwon KT on the 2nd.
When starter Kim Yun-shik made the bases loaded crisis safely at the end of the second inning, Lim Chan-gyu took the mound and made a change-up as the deciding ball, catching three batters in a row and ending the inning. Although they gave 3 runs in the 3rd inning, Lim Chan-gyu’s passing without a run in the early stage was a decisive factor for LG not to collapse. Lim Chan-gyu, who kept LG’s lead, recorded his first hold of the season. It has been 4 years since 2019.
The game was tied in the bottom of the eighth and went into overtime. At the end of the 10th inning, Ham Deok-ju (28, LG) took the mound.
Ham Deok-joo perfectly blocked two innings with a tripartite offense until the end of the 11th inning. In the meantime, LG scored the winning run in the top of the 11th inning, and Ham Deok-ju became the winning pitcher. It was the first salvation in two years since April 2021.
LG has a strong one-two punch. It also has the most powerful pilseungye tujo. Relatively, the 3rd to 5th starters are very weak, but if the starters come down early, it is not clear whether they will lead them to the winning group. This year’s LG prepared for the season with the weight on this ‘waist’. Kim Yun-sik and Lee Min-ho, who do not have much selection experience, and Kang Hyo-jong, a newcomer, have been entrusted with the 3rd to 5th selections, so the weight in the middle is very important. Experienced Lim Chan-kyu and Ham Deok-joo took the lead, and Yoo Young-chan, Baek Seung-hyeon, and rookie Park Myeong-geun took on the task of throwing from the middle to the long pitch.
Lim Chan-gyu and Ham Deok-joo are the key players. LG director Yeom Gyeong-yeop has clearly defined the roles of the two. Lim Chan-gyu prepared for the season as a long relief when the starting pitcher collapses early and as a substitute starter when the starting pitchers are tired. Ham Deok-joo is a long relief player and specializes in left-handed opponents. He plans to pitch at least two innings when pitching in long relief and one inning when pitching against a left-handed hitter.
The two are also new pitchers this season.
Lim Chan-gyu moved to the bullpen this year after playing as a starter for a long time. After his recent slump to the point of choosing a free agent (FA),스포츠토토 he changed to the bullpen at the starting point again. After being traded from Doosan in early 2021, Ham Deok-joo, who had not been able to play much due to injury, prepared to play properly this year, his third year at LG. At the time of the trade, Ham Deok-joo, who was planning to play as a starter, returned to middle relief with Lim Chan-gyu, which could be more important than selection.
LG confirmed the reason why it prepared for the season with strength in long relief through the KT game on the 2nd, when it won its first win of the season. After a long time, Lim Chan-kyu’s hold and Ham Deok-joo’s first win of the season clearly demonstrated the most important mound operation strategy prepared by LG this season.