Professional baseball LG Twins pitcher Im Chan-kyu conducted a perfect final check in the Futures League ahead of the KBO League season opener.

Im Chan-kyu took the mound as a starting pitcher in the game against the 2025 Futures League SSG Landers at the 강화 SSG Futures Field on the 20th. As the fourth starter for LG's rotation this season, Im Chan-kyu pitched 73 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout without giving up a run.

Although he initially planned to throw about 85 pitches, he was substituted after 6 innings and 73 pitches since relief pitchers Jang Hyun-sik, Kim Dae-hyun, and Baek Seung-hyun needed to pitch for 1 inning each. He displayed very economical pitching with effective throws. With LG winning 8-7, Im Chan-kyu became the winning pitcher.

Im Chan-kyu's fastball reached a top speed of 141 km, with most thrown at 138 km. However, his excellent control and effective slow curve were particularly impressive. After the 97-98 km curve, SSG batters were late on the 138 km fastball. After the game, Im Chan-kyu noted, "The curve was working well."

That day, LG's starting lineup included Son Yong-jun (third baseman), Ham Chang-geon (right fielder), Kim Min-soo (second baseman), Bom Kim (catcher), Kim Seong-jin (first baseman), Park Kwan-woo (left fielder), Sim Kyu-bin (designated hitter), Lee Tae-hoon (shortstop), and Kim Hyun-jong (center fielder).

SSG's starting lineup included Han Yoo-seom (right fielder), Ko Myeong-jun (first baseman), Ha Jae-hun (left fielder), Oh Tae-gon (center fielder), Jo Hyeong-woo (catcher), Ahn Sang-hyeon (third baseman), Kim Chan-hyung (shortstop), Kim Gyu-min (designated hitter), and Seok Jeong-woo (second baseman).

SSG's key batters, including Han Yoo-seom and Ha Jae-hun, played in the upper batting order. In the 1st inning, Im Chan-kyu allowed a left field single to Han Yoo-seom, hitting a 139 km fastball. Ko Myeong-jun's hit was a high popup between the pitcher and catcher. Catcher Bom Kim tried to catch it but dropped it, then quickly threw to second base to get the lead runner out. With 2 outs and 1 runner on, he walked Oh Tae-gon but struck out Jo Hyeong-woo with a 111 km curve, ending the inning without any runs.

In the 2nd inning, he caught 2 strikes on lead-off batter Ahn Sang-hyeon with a 97 km slow curve and a 138 km fastball. Ahn Sang-hyeon's ball hit the pitcher's glove and flew behind, but the shortstop caught it and threw to first base for the out. He recorded an out against Kim Chan-hyung with a 111 km curve and walked Kim Gyu-min. Against Kim Gyu-min, he reached a speed of 140 km for the first time. With 2 outs and 1 runner on, he ended the inning with a groundout by Seok Jeong-woo.

In the 3rd inning, he got Han Yoo-seom out with a fly ball to center field, then allowed a hit to Ko Myeong-jun. He got Ha Jae-hun out on a first base foul fly and then got Oh Tae-gon out on a catcher foul fly, finishing the inning without giving up a run. The 4th inning ended with three batters out without any runners on base. He made Ahn Sang-hyeon's hit into a groundout to the pitcher and handled the out against Kim Chan-hyung with a 94 km curve followed by a 138 km fastball for a flyout to right field.

In the 5th inning, he allowed a leadoff double to Kim Gyu-min, creating a no out, 2nd base crisis. Im Chan-kyu mixed curves around 100 km with fastballs at 138 km to handle the next three batters all as groundouts. Seok Jeong-woo's hit resulted in a broken bat groundout to the shortstop. Han Yoo-seom was fooled by a 108 km curve for a flyout to shortstop, and Ko Myeong-jun's hit was good but resulted in a lineout to third base to end the inning.

After throwing 63 pitches through the 5th inning, Im Chan-kyu returned to the mound in the 6th. He got lead-off hitter Ha Jae-hun to ground out to shortstop, and Oh Tae-gon to fly out to shortstop, finishing the inning with Jo Hyeong-woo flying out to center field on a 110 km curve.

LG took the lead with a solo home run from Kim Seong-jin, a 1-RBI double from Sim Kyu-bin, a two-run home run from Lee Tae-hoon, and a 1-RBI double from Ham Chang-geon, going ahead 5-0. In the 5th, Lee Tae-hoon's consecutive two-run home run extended the lead to 7-0.

In the bottom of the 7th, Seok Jeong-woo hit a two-run home run against LG's Jang Hyun-sik, and in the bottom of the 8th, Ha Jae-hun hit a two-run home run against Kim Dae-hyun. In the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jo Hyeong-woo hit a 2-RBI single to left field, closing the gap to 7-8, but they could not turn the game around.

[OSEN]