LG’s Won-Tae Choi pitched six shutout innings to secure the win in his debut. LG fans, who had been anticipating Choi’s debut since the 29th, welcomed the final piece of the championship puzzle with applause and cheers.
Choi Won-tae started the game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 30th and pitched six innings of two-hit ball, striking out five and walking none. He was unfazed by his first game of the season, a game in which his pitching schedule was pushed back a day after being traded on short notice on the 29th. He was absolutely dominant, throwing just 75 pitches over six scoreless innings.
The urgency of the trade was evident in the starting pitching change on the 29th. Kiwoom announced Choi Won-tae as the starter for the 29th after the Samsung game on the 28th, but Choi was traded to LG in a one-for-many deal on the morning of the 29th. LG acquired Choi in exchange for outfield prospect Lee Ju-hyung, pitching prospect Kim Dong-gyu, and next year’s first-round draft pick.
Won-tae Choi made his first start on the 30th in place of Adam Plutko. Plutko was battling a cold, so the team was able to adjust the schedule to give him an extra day of rest. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said that Choi joined the team at a good time, and that Plutko’s departure could have ended the winning streak.
He wasn’t the only one with high hopes for Choi Won-tae. The LG fans in the stands on the third base side of Jamsil Stadium also cheered and clapped for Choi as he left the bullpen and headed to the mound. The batters supported Choi with two runs in the first inning. 메이저사이트
Won-tae Choi took the mound in an unfamiliar uniform, but it didn’t change the pitcher. He finished the first inning with three ground balls. He continued to build momentum with four consecutive strikeouts in the fourth inning. He retired 14 batters in a row until the second inning of the fifth.
In the sixth, he gave up a leadoff double to Kim Tae-geun but did not allow a run. He pitched six innings on 75 pitches and struck out five. On the day, Choi’s fastball averaged 149 kilometers per hour with an average velocity of 146 kilometers per hour. His ERA dropped from 3.25 to 3.07.
LG cruised to a 10-0 victory thanks to Choi’s dominant performance and a batting lineup that combined for hits from the entire lineup. Prior to the game, Yeom Kyung-yeop was confident that Choi Won-tae could post a higher individual winning percentage than the first half of the season if he stayed with the LG bullpen. He even made a bold prediction that he would have more wins in the second half than the first. First, one win in the first inning.