Can it work out this well? Your greatest weakness has turned into your greatest strength.
The 10th was SSG Landers’ ‘Bullpen Day’. According to the original rotation, the starting pitcher for the Gwangju KIA Tigers match that day was Kirk McCarty. However, McCarty recently decided to take a break after getting pus on his middle finger. So, he airlifted a replacement starter just two or three days after the start. This is Lee Kun-wook, who was playing with the bullpen in the 2nd team. He is a pitcher who has experience as a starting pitcher in the past, but has not built up his body for starting as he only played games with the bullpen this season. There was not enough time to prepare. The maximum number of pitches is around 65 pitches. Director Kim Won-hyeong also expressed his expectations, saying, “I hope Lee Kun-wook can stop at least 4 innings.” Since he is not a starting resource, he is a practical ‘opener’.
However,메이저놀이터 Lee Kun-wook endured 4 innings with 3 runs, and the essence of SSG bullpen baseball unfolded from the 5th inning. Everything fell into place as calculated. With a one-point lead, left-hander Baek Seung-geon took the mound as the second pitcher in the 5th inning. It is Pil Seung-jo who faithfully plays the role of a left-handed bullpen agent and setup man who appears most often in recent matches. There were days when there were ups and downs, but on this day Baek Seung-gun completely blocked the first inning and broke KIA’s will to pursue. Subsequently, veteran bullpens led by Ko Hyo-jun and Roh Kyung-eun took charge of one inning each.
Last 2 innings. The pitcher who took the mound in the 8th inning was left-hander Lim Jun-seop. Lim Jun-seop also allowed one hit in one inning and handled it neatly with a double hit. Lim Jun-seop recorded an individual hold in 1002 days since August 11, 2020.
When the bullpen was operated as planned by Lim Jun-seop, Jin-yong Seo was responsible for the end of the 9th inning. ‘Mr. Zero’ with an ERA of 0 and the league’s No. 1 in saves. Seo Jin-yong also allowed one hit, but finished the game perfectly without a major crisis. SSG took a meaningful 5-3 victory on Bullpen Day even with a substitute starter.
Prior to the start of this season, the bullpen was always pointed out as SSG’s biggest weakness. It was the only variable in the process of winning last year’s ‘Wire to Wire’. Coach Won-hyung Kim also put a lot of effort into the idea of the mound throughout the spring camp and thought deeply about it.
However, when I opened the lid, it was the opposite. SSG boasts the best bullpen in the league this season. grades prove it. As of the 10th, SSG’s bullpen ERA is 2.18, overwhelmingly ranked first among 10 clubs. SSG is the only bullpen that maintains an ERA of 2 points. It is at the top of the league in almost every category.
In fact, there is a change in the composition of the bullpen. Kim Taek-hyung, who played the role of left-hander Pil Seung-jo last year, vacated his seat as a managing director, and this year, ‘New Face’ Baek Seung-gun and Lim Jun-seop are fully playing the role of left-hander Pil Seung-jo. In particular, recruiting Lim Joon-seop, who was on the verge of retirement, through testing is a ‘God’s move’ at this point. Here, veterans Noh Kyung-eun and Koh Hyo-jun take the center stage, and even high school graduate rookie Lee Ro-un is using them in tight situations and accumulating experience. Finisher Seo Jin-yong is showing the best pace since his debut, so there is no worry about back doors.
Although it was clearly said to be a weakness, all parts work smoothly without clogging. In turn, the ‘hero’ appears. Even though the mound operation centered on manager Kim Won-hyung and pitching coach Cho Ung-cheon has more room than last year, the result is better.