LG lost 2-3 in Game 1 of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO postseason KT Wiz (best-of-seven series) at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 7th.
As a result, LG lost 74.4 percent of its chances of winning the championship (29 out of 39 matches, excluding draws in the 1982 season).
In the first inning, both teams exchanged points due to poor defensive concentration. After allowing one run in the top of the first inning, LG took a chance with one out and runners on first and third bases in the bottom of the first inning, and Park Kyung-soo’s error tied the score. He then succeeded in reversing the game with Moon Bo-kyung’s sacrifice fly RBI.
In the top of the second inning, he gained momentum by inducing the second “triple fat” of the postseason. Jang Sung-woo hit a timely hit in the top of the fourth inning and allowed a tie, but he failed to yield a turnaround.
The 2-2 game lost the bullpen battle. Above all, the collapse of LG’s best finisher Ko Woo-suk was so painful.
Ko Woo-suk, who took the mound in the top of the ninth inning, quickly grabbed two outs, dealing with the first batter Park Byung-ho with a ground ball to the shortstop and Jang Sung-woo with a fly ball to the left field.
However, a sense of crisis was sensed as Bae Jung-dae gave up a walk after a close game to the ninth pitch in his at-bat.
In Moon Sang-chul’s subsequent at-bat, he took the lead with two strikes first. However, he threw two consecutive balls afterwards. His fifth fastball was a foul. He went as far as the sixth pitch. The 133km curveball thrown here was driven to the center, allowing a double that directly hit the fence. There was no problem with the first baseman’s allocation team coming home.
Ko Woo-suk is a closer representing the league. However, this season has been sluggish. When he played in the WBC on the 3rd, he left the regular season late due to symptoms of gall and shoulder injuries. Because of this, he had a hard time in the early part of the season.
After confirming his victory at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he returned after shedding hot tears. I thought I was getting better now, but I had a sore throat again. Eventually, he couldn’t take the mound at the end of the season and ended the season as it was.
Ko Woo-suk’s final performance this season is 3 wins, 8 losses, 15 saves in 44 games, and an ERA of 3.68. There are eight losses, the most losses in the team, and two Blon saves. It is a disappointing report card for the closing pitcher of the team that ranks first in the regular league.
LG had camp training and rest before the Korean Series. There were also a total of six Cheongbaek matches and practice matches.
Ko Woo-suk pitched in the ninth inning of a practice game with Sangmu on the 1st, but failed to finish and stopped pitching. I felt a pain in my back.
It was a moment when the hearts of the team, coaching staff, and LG fans, including manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, would have been depressed.
Ko Woo-suk, who came down from the mound without overdoing it, underwent a hospital examination the next day. MRI showed simple back muscle pain. It wasn’t a big injury, but it was a relief.
There was no problem with the Korean Series. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said at the Korea Series Media Day held on the 6th, “I pitched about 16 bullpen pitches the day before (5th). After pitching, I talked to the training part and pitching coaches about my physical condition, and I received a report that there was no problem. “I don’t think there will be a problem in playing as a closing pitcher in Game 1 of the Korean Series normally,” he said.
Fortunately, it was the first edition of the Korean Series that went up after recovering from the injury, but Ko Woo-suk unfortunately collapsed. He showed passion in footrests in the chilly weather in early winter, but he bowed his head to Moon Sang-chul’s shot.
Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said about Ko Woo-suk after the game, “He’s in good shape, but Moon Sang-chul made a good mistake.” He added, “I’m sorry that I threw a breaking ball and made a mistake.”
In the middle of the season, Ko Woo-suk and Yeom Kyung-yeop had a disagreement. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop wanted Ko Woo-suk to reduce the ratio of breaking balls and use his main weapon, fastball, when he had to play. However, Ko Woo-suk throws a breaking ball at a time when he has to bet even though he is throwing a fastball I was hit hard.
Game 1 of the Korean Series was also the moment when it came to mind.
Still, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop gave a positive evaluation. Coach Yeom said, “I think it will be okay. “I was worried about my injury a lot, but I believe he will do well in the next game as a closure,” he said.