On the 12th at Jamsil Stadium in the Samsung-LG game, LG destroyed itself with four double-play grounders and its bullpen collapsed late in the game, losing 1-9. In the eighth inning, after giving up a grand slam to Samsung's Jeon Byeong-woo making the score 1-5, many LG fans on the first-base side left their seats before the bottom of the eighth inning.
On the 22nd at Jamsil Stadium in the Kiwoom-LG game, LG trailed 0-7 through the middle of the game and ultimately suffered a shutout defeat with only three hits. From the seventh inning, LG fans began leaving the ballpark.
Defending champion LG is competing near the top again this year. It is vying for first place with Samsung and KT. However, injuries and batting slumps for starting position players such as Moon Bo-gyeong and Moon Sung-ju and bullpen instability from closer Yoo Young-chan's surgical absence have made games difficult.
When they win, many victories are narrow, sweat-inducing 1-2 point games, and when they lose, they often suffer heavy defeats by large margins. As in the two games mentioned earlier. On the 19th at Gwangju against KIA, they lost 0-14.
Manager Youm Kyoung-youb opened his remarks at Jamsil Stadium on the 24th about such game content. He said, "This year I wanted the team to at least lose in a respectable way, but it doesn't work. At the start of this season I thought we needed many come-from-behind wins, but given the team's circumstances that's not happening."
LG's starters, including Hong Chang-ki and Shin Min-jae, are overall in batting slumps, and the bullpen's late-inning group is not as solid as expected. Jang Hyun-sik and Ham Deok-ju have been sent down to the second team due to poor performance. If the team falls behind early in a game, a come-from-behind win is difficult.
Youm said, "There are many games in which we get destroyed in a big way. But looking at the current team situation, I am sorry to the fans, but from my standpoint I have to choose and concentrate. Even if I take the criticism, this is the time to make such decisions."
In games where they lead by even one run, the manager pours in the late-inning group, and when trailing by one or two runs they often cannot commit the late-inning group and instead bring in the chasers, which leads to more runs allowed. When they perform poorly at home in Jamsil and lose by a large margin, fans who came to watch in person leave early.
Youm said, "People might say we're giving up on the game, but we have to look at the season as a whole. What fan would want to come and watch that kind of game? I am clearly sorry about that."
Instead, Youm urged players to have the proper attitude of professional athletes. He mentioned, "I tell the players, 'Even if you lack skill or make mistakes, fans will accept you if you show you're doing your best. Doing it halfheartedly is really unacceptable.'" He added, "If they try their best and show a spirited attitude, I think fans can understand. They should show that they are making an effort even if they're a bit lacking."
Youm managed the game aggressively against Kiwoom on the 24th. LG's starter Song Seung-gi collapsed after allowing four runs in the fourth inning. Now turned into a late-inning reliable arm, Kim Jin-su was brought in as a reliever with one out and runners on first and second trailing 0-4. Kim Jin-su held them without allowing additional runs.
With a four-run deficit, trusted reliever Kim Jin-sung took responsibility for the fifth inning, and Kim Yoon-sik was brought in for the sixth. LG scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to chase within 3-4, a one-run game. Then the manager continued to use the late-inning group, bringing in Kim Young-woo in the seventh and Woo Kang-hoon in the eighth. Trailing by one run in the top of the ninth, closer Son Ju-yeong entered for his second straight day of work.
In the bottom of the ninth, the final at-bat, after two outs, pinch-hitter Lee Jae-won reached on a lucky double after an outfielder's error. Hong Chang-ki drew a walk to reach base, and Park Hae-min launched a three-run walk-off homer over the right-field wall. It was his first home run of the season and his first career walk-off homer, delivering the most dramatic victory of the season. <
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