LG Twins pitcher Lim Chan-gyu succeeded in achieving 14 wins of the season with a starting win in the final game of the season. Lim Chan-gyu, who is ranked first in wins as a domestic starter this season, has clearly proven that he is a native ace representing the league. It was a particularly happy day as he defeated his ‘Jamsil rival’ Doosan Bears, who had been bothering him for a long time.안전놀이터
Lim Chan-gyu started on the mound against Doosan in Jamsil on October 15 and contributed to the team’s 5-2 victory by allowing 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 run in 5.2 innings.
On this day, Lim Chan-gyu won the season’s 14th win and attempted the season’s regulation innings. LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop announced that Lim Chan-gyu’s starting pitch date was set for the final game of the regular season as a courtesy to the local ace.
LG gave up an RBI infield hit to Park Jun-young in the top of the second inning, with Yang Seok-hwan hitting a double, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a walk with one out and first and third bases on. After overcoming the crisis without allowing any additional runs, LG launched a big inning counterattack in the bottom of the fourth inning.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, LG took the opportunity to load the bases with two outs thanks to consecutive hits by Kim Hyun-soo and Austin and Oh Ji-hwan’s walk. The LG bench replaced Kim Min-seong’s at-bat with pinch hitter Moon Seong-ju. Moon Seong-ju targeted Kim Dong-joo’s 4th pitch, a 142km/h fastball, and hit a double to left-center, sweeping 3 RBIs. In the ensuing opportunity with two outs and the bases loaded, Park Hae-min hit a timely hit with two RBIs against the changed pitcher, Park Chi-guk.
Lim Chan-gyu completed his task with 2 outs in the 6th inning. Lim Chan-gyu, who succeeded in completing the regulation innings by playing 144.2 innings of the season, finished his appearance while meeting the requirement for 14 wins in the season. Baek Seung-hyun, who pitched in relief, ended the sixth inning with no runs allowed and prevented Lim Chan-gyu from allowing more runs. Afterwards, the bullpen maintained the lead until the end, completing Lim Chan-gyu’s 14th win of the season. LG finished the regular season with 86 wins, 2 draws, and 56 losses, maintaining a team winning percentage of 60% (0.606).
Coach Yeom Kyeong-yeop said after the game, “I congratulate Lim Chan-gyu for pitching well as a domestic ace, and for recording the most wins by an individual with 14 wins. And I would like to once again praise him for being a pillar as a starter when the team was having a difficult time at the beginning of the season. “Today, it could have been difficult because no runs were scored with bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 4th inning, but Seong-Joo Moon hit a 3-RBI double, which helped set the tone for the overall game and played a critical role in the victory,” he praised.
Coach Yeom continued, “Our players worked hard during the regular season, and I would like to congratulate them on taking first place in the pennant race. We were able to win today thanks to the support of LG fans who filled the stands until the last game. Thank you.”
Lim Chan-gyu, who met with reporters after the regular season championship trophy award ceremony, said, “I did well this season, so I don’t think I’m a native ace yet. We must continue to achieve good results for the next 2-3 years. “There were things I wasn’t able to sacrifice for the team last year, but I’m glad I made up for it with good results this season,” he said, nodding.
Lim Chan-gyu repeatedly emphasized the importance of image training. Lim Chan-gyu said, “It’s not good to think too much on the mound. When you think about external outcomes that you can’t control, you become driven. I did image training for a long time to throw each ball the way I wanted. “I tried to clear my head and simplify by recalling every detail, even the bad situations, and erasing them from my mind,” he explained.
Lim Chan-gyu has shown weakness to Doosan for a long time. In particular, even in his post-season appearances, he had poor results against Doosan.
Lim Chan-gyu said, “It is a specific team, but I have been hit by Doosan countless times for a long time while playing baseball and have lost many times as a losing pitcher. He always wanted to win every time he pitched against Doosan, but the results were not good. So, I was happy to win against Doosan in the final game of the season today. Above all, I already feel like I have succeeded just by appearing in the Korean Series. I remember every moment of the 2002 LG Korean Series, which I cried while watching as a child, but it was even more emotional because it was the first regular season win in 29 years. “The trophy was quite heavy,” he said with a smile.
Lim Chan-gyu is now preparing to start as a starter in the Korean Series. Coach Yeom predicted that Lim Chan-gyu would appear as the second or third starter in the series.
Lim Chan-gyu said, “When I hear that I am the starting pitcher for the Korean Series, I shrug my shoulders (laughs). Still, it seems like he needs more image training so that he doesn’t lose his strength because it’s a Korean series. Wouldn’t it be more counterproductive if I tense my mind? He said emphatically, “I plan to go up to the mound in the Korean Series and pitch with all my might until they tell me to come down without worrying about the content.”