A bountiful harvest is expected as the roots grow firmly.
The dominant system of the LG Twins, the sole leader, is becoming more solid. On the 19th, against the Gwangju KIA Tigers, they won 4-3, by 1 point, reaching their 75th win of the season. Among the 10 teams, it is still the only one with a winning percentage of 60%.
LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop predicted that more than 85 wins are needed to win the regular season. Coach Yeom said on the 19th, “We view around 85 wins as the right to win. He said, “I’m thinking of getting up to 86 wins to prepare for any unexpected situation.”
LG’s challenge to win the regular season this year has many meanings. It is meaningful to achieve a long-awaited project 29 years after 1994, but it is also very meaningful to overcome a major crisis on one’s own in a long-term race.
Since the start of this season, the indigenous starting lineup has been considered LG’s biggest weakness. Except for Lim Chan-gyu, there were no full-time starting candidates who could consistently perform in the rotation. Finding the 4th and 5th starters was an unresolved task for LG in the 2023 season.
Numerous candidates, including Kim Yun-sik, Lee Min-ho, and Kang Hyo-jong, entered the starting rotation, but no clear answer was found. In the end, LG signed a ‘big deal’ with Kiwoom Heroes in July and recruited right-hander Choi Won-tae, but this also did not deliver results as expected.
The ones who saved the LG starting lineup in crisis from the swamp were Lee Jeong-yong (27) and Lee Ji-gang (24), who were selected by LG in the 2019 rookie draft. Lee Jeong-yong, who suddenly joined the starting lineup in June, is performing well with 4 wins, 0 losses, and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.37 in 7 games in the second half of the season. Lee Ji-gang, who took on the role of substitute starter, recorded his first win in his debut with a surprise pitching of 5 scoreless innings against KIA on the 19th.
The two young guns did their part when the team was in the biggest crisis. After Adam Plutko suffered a pelvic bone injury and Choi Won-tae was excluded from the first team due to reconditioning, the management of the starting lineup was difficult, and Ji-gang Lee and Jeong-yong Lee showed great performances in the midst of a drought.토토사이트
There is another performance from the 2019 draftee. Infielder Moon Bo-kyung (23) is showing off his ability to produce RBIs every day in the batting lineup. On the 19th, Moon Bo-kyung hit the milestone of 10 home runs and 70 RBIs for the season with his first consecutive hitting streak since his debut. These are all ‘career highs’.
The three 2019 rookie draft players, Lee Jeong-yong, Lee Ji-kang, and Moon Bo-kyung, are no longer limited to the title of promising player. Before we knew it, it had firmly established itself as a mainstay of LG. Their surprising performance is a huge boost to LG’s solo lead and challenge for the regular season championship.