Down by four runs, the bullpen ace comes through. The LG Twins’ fight for first place ended in a dramatic fashion. They swept a three-game series against the SSG Landers.
LG and SSG have been battling for first place for 40 days since May 20. Lotte and NC have been in the mix, but as the first half of the season draws to a close, LG and SSG are solidifying their dominance. Therefore, the highly anticipated ‘Preview Korean Series’ in Incheon confirmed LG’s dominance once again. LG’s game plan worked.
LG pulled off an 8-6 come-from-behind victory in the eighth game of the season against SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on April 28. After falling behind 1-6 through five innings, the team rallied in the sixth, took the lead in the eighth, and sealed the deal in the ninth. Fifth starter Lee Ji-gang did not complete five innings, and Ham Deok-ju, who came in from a four-run deficit, gave up a solo home run to tie the game.
It was an unthinkable run. LG brought in Ham as the third pitcher in the fifth inning, down 1-5. Before this game, Ham was a bullpen ace with a 3-11 record with three saves and a 1.02 ERA in 36 games this year. The game-winning run came when the team was down by four runs.
In fact, the decision to bring in Ham Deok-ju was unfortunate. He gave up a home run to Park Sung-ho to widen the gap. It was the first time in nine games since the last game against Hanwha on April 9, and the first time in 22 games since April 29 against KIA.
LG scored three runs in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 4-6. They continued to show their determination to overturn the deficit by bringing in the closer. Jung Woo-young pitched a scoreless sixth inning, and Park Myung-geun came on in the seventh to keep the score close.
After a three-run eighth inning to take a 7-6 lead, Kang Soo-soo called on Park to go the distance. Park threw 28 pitches in two innings, striking out one and walking none. In the ninth, Go Woo-seok gave up two walks and was in trouble, but struck out two to preserve the 8-6 win.
Three things came together to make it a close matchup. The first is that SSG was their biggest rival in the race for first place in the regular season. Secondly, they had a travel day off on the 26th, followed by a big win on the 27th, so they didn’t have to play their best team. Finally, the 29th game had a high chance of being rained out.
LG grabbed the game on the 28th to take a 6-2 lead in the head-to-head against SSG. This is the third time this year that the team has secured a winner-take-all series in a three-game series, giving them a lot of confidence. Overcoming a five-point deficit is also a great experience.
On the 27th, a no-hitter by Lim Chan-kyu and a big batting outburst led to a 14-0 victory. The early lead made it easier for the bullpen. The final two innings were split between Song Eun-beom and Oh Seok-joo, who were both called up to the first team that day. The pitchers had two days off on the 26th and 27th.
The sky also helped LG. A lot of rain is expected to fall in the central region on the 29th. If the weather forecast holds true, the game will be difficult to play. All the bullpens will have a day off and be ready for the three-game weekend series.바카라사이트
However, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a game like this often, and we shouldn’t. Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop’s goal is for LG to be “stronger in the second half and even stronger in the postseason. LG’s bullpen is already in the “top three” for saves. Ham Deok-ju and Jung Woo-young lead the way with 37 games, while Kim Jin-sung is second with 36. Park Myung-geun has appeared in 33 games, the most among rookies.