The aftermath of a last-minute rain cancellation. LG 11-win ‘starter’ not ‘ace’ meets SSG foreign ace. Why?
The first and second games of the SSG Landers-LG Twins series on the 22nd were cancelled due to sudden heavy rain. The starting matchups for the final day of the three-game series on the 23rd have been changed.
SSG will start Roenis Elias, who was announced earlier in the day, on the 23rd. LG, on the other hand, switched to Lee Jung-yong instead of Adam Plutko. Lee was scheduled to pitch on the 23rd.
It was delayed due to heavy rain just before the start of the game. Plutko, who was supposed to pitch in the first inning, had already warmed up, making it difficult for him to pitch again the next day. The decision was made not to push him too hard, as he might not perform well and an injury might come at the worst possible time. For LG, Plutko is the hope of the starting staff. In 17 appearances in the first half of the season, he went 11-1 with a 2.21 ERA. In the 17 games Plutko has pitched, LG has gone 14-2 with a winning percentage of 9.93, making the formula “Plutko = wins.
While Casey Kelly, the ace for the past four years, struggled in the first half with a 6-5 record and a 4.44 ERA, Plutko’s steadfastness as the ace allowed LG to finish the first half in first place and raise hopes of winning the regular season title.
Lee Jung-yong made his fourth start of the season. He was a late-inning option for LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop as the team’s fourth and fifth starters continued to struggle. Lee, who has been a bullpen pitcher since joining the team, is set to join the Sangmu next year, but he decided to take starting lessons in advance as he plans to switch to starting pitching at the Sangmu. After giving up one run on three hits in two innings against Lotte on 25 June, Lee threw three scoreless innings against KIA on 2 June. However, he struggled against Lotte on the 9th, giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits in three innings. He threw only 58 pitches, failing to reach the scheduled 70.메이저사이트
He’s been reworking his pitch design, using a forkball instead of his changeup and learning a new curveball in an effort to establish himself as a starter.
He pitched in a scrimmage during the All-Star break to get a feel for his potential as a starter. Lee started a scrimmage against Doosan on the 17th, allowing four hits, one walk and six strikeouts in five innings, throwing 71 pitches in five innings. He touched 145kmph on his fastball and looked solid.
He was especially pleased with his curveball, which he learned from Lim again. “On the day off, I played catch with Lee Jung-yong and tried the curveball, but the turnover wasn’t right. It was fast, so it didn’t fall where it should and had a small angle.” “I fixed it while playing catch, and it got better. I even got a call after the game saying it was better.”
He threw 70 pitches in the practice game, so he can throw 805-90 pitches against SSG on the 23rd. It’s a crucial game for the first and second place, so if Lee Jung-yong performs as expected, LG will have some breathing room in the four starting spots.
