The LG Twins of professional baseball will play their second matchup of the season against the SSG Landers at Jamsil Stadium on the 11th.
In the game on the 10th the previous day, LG beat SSG 10-2 in a rout. After falling into a three-game losing streak to start the season, LG surged to 6 wins and 1 loss and climbed up to a tie for first place.
Manager Youm Kyoung-youb's radical batting order change brought maximum effect. He moved everyday leadoff hitter Hong Chang-gi, who was struggling with a batting average in the .100s, down to the sixth spot. He used table setters Chun Seong-ho and Moon Sung-ju together for the first time. Chun Seong-ho has been scorching hot with a .435 batting average in nine games (10 hits in 23 at-bats), 1 home run and a 1.215 OPS. Moon Sung-ju had a high batting average of .394 (13 hits in 33 at-bats).
Against SSG, in the first inning Chun Seong-ho reached with an infield hit and Moon Sung-ju reached after being hit by a pitch to create a no-out, runners on first and second chance, then No. 3 Austin, No. 4 Moon Bo-gyeong and No. 5 Oh Ji-hwan each produced an RBI to seize a 3-0 lead. Chun Seong-ho went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored four runs, and Moon Sung-ju went 1-for-2 with two hit-by-pitches and scored two runs. The No. 3 through No. 5 core hitters each recorded three RBIs.
On the 11th LG will have Im Chan-kyu start as the starting pitcher. Im Chan-kyu has appeared in two games this season with no decisions and a 5.40 earned run average.
On March 29 against KT at Jamsil he allowed six hits and three runs in five innings, and on the 4th against Kiwoom at Gocheok he allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings. Among LG's starting rotation Im Chan-kyu is the only one without a win. He has not shown his characteristic change of pace and stable command. He gives up many runs early in games. All seven runs allowed in two games were given up by the end of the third inning.
Im Chan-kyu is strong against SSG. From 2023 over three years he has a record of 12 games, 9 wins and 2 losses with a 2.19 earned run average. Last year he was good with three games, 2 wins and 1 loss and a 2.65 earned run average. He will challenge for his first win of the season against SSG, a team he is a nemesis against.
If LG's lineup is alive and Im Chan-kyu can hold them to two to three runs over five innings, they have a chance to win. LG's bullpen is also strong. Woo Kang-hoon has five scoreless appearances and has been impressive. Ahead of closer Yoo Young-chan there are many reliable relievers in Kim Jin-sung, Jang Hyun-sik and Kim Young-woo.
SSG's starting pitcher is Kim Gun-woo. Kim Gun-woo has appeared in two games this season with 1 win and an 8.53 earned run average. Kim Gun-woo's career numbers against LG are six games, 9 1/3 innings and seven runs allowed, a 6.75 earned run average. All were performances against LG last year.
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