LG’s back door is ironclad. Even if the closing Ko Woo-seok doesn’t come out, they’ll block it. It’s already five closers.
LG earned a thrilling 3-2, one-run victory over the Samsung Lions in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League on Thursday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.
After going down 2-0 in the top of the first inning on a two-out RBI double by Pirela, LG responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. After a fielder’s choice put runners on first and second, Hong Chang-ki and Kim Hyun-soo hit RBI singles and took advantage of an infield error to score three runs.
This was the score until the end of the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the bullpen was activated. From the seventh to the ninth innings, the team was in trouble, but never lost its one-run lead.
Six bullpen pitchers combined for five scoreless innings, the last of which was Seung-hyun Baek, who had never pitched in a save situation before.
The process was tough. He came up with the bases loaded. Nevertheless, Seung-hyun Baek pitched strong. He struck out Kang Min-ho on a seven-pitch at-bat and Kim Dong-yeop on a straight hit to end the game. That’s how Baek Seung-hyun earned his first career save.
Baek became the fifth LG pitcher to record 스포츠토토 a save after Ko Woo-seok (3 saves), Lee Jung-yong (3 saves), Ham Deok-ju (3 saves), and Park Myung-geun (5 saves).
Baek Seung-hyun is a player with a story. He joined the LG through the 2015 rookie draft and was originally selected as an infielder. He was evaluated as a shortstop to succeed Oh Ji-hwan, but his bat didn’t work out. Then, in 2020, he stumbled upon his talent as a pitcher for Geelong Korea in the Australian League. After returning home, he decided to switch to pitching, and in August, he began preparing to pitch in earnest.
In her third year as a pitcher, she caught the eye of coach Yeom Kyung-yup and threw confidently in the first team. He even earned his first save in his debut, proving that he has improved.
That’s a lot of cards to play for LG. Of course, Go Woo-seok will be their closer, but they have a lot of options if he can’t pitch.
This is the best pitching lineup that Yeom Kyung-yeop boasts this season. This is a must-win lineup that no other team has except LG. It’s so good that it’s divided into two groups. The quality and quantity are tremendous. LG’s back door is expected to be even tighter.
