Was it the right outfit to start, the first designated pitcher who evolved into a "forkballer"..."I'm nervous"
LG Twins' Lee Jung-yong continues to play well as a starting pitcher.
Lee Jung-yong started the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League away game against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 16th and scored six hits, no outs, and two runs in six innings. He gave Samsung a 6-3 victory by pitching a quality start (pitching less than three earned runs in six innings). 스포츠토토
With this game, Lee Jung-yong won five games (1 loss, 1 hold, 3 saves) of the season. After changing his position to a starting pitcher, he seems to be wearing clothes that fit him. Lee Jung-yong, who showed signs of anxiety due to his mid-season pitching. However, he has changed completely for the starting pitcher. He has recorded two wins and one loss in seven games, and has kept the mound with 11 hits, one walk, two runs, nine strikeouts and a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings in his last three starts.
In particular, the forkball began to work well as it showed its power. Lee Jung-yong, a graduate of Dong-A University, joined LG as the first draft pick in 2019. Lee Jung-yong is a "two-pitch" type pitcher who threw fastballs and sliders, and has mainly played in the bullpen. Recently, he has evolved into a starting pitcher with a forkball. He also actively used forkballs in the match. He threw a total of 81 pitches, of which 30 were used. In fact, he threw as many as 36 fastballs.
Lee Jung-yong has recently blocked Samsung's good batting lineup. Even in the crisis, he held out with a minimum number of runs. In the first inning with one out and runners on second and third bases, Kang Min-ho was handled with an infield grounder, but he gave up one run. In the fifth inning, Kim Sung-yoon hit a sacrifice fly in the third base with one out and only gave him one point.
While Lee Jung-yong held out, his colleagues also cheered up. Park Dong-won's grand slam came out in the sixth inning, trailing 1-2. With Lee Jung-yong down with the winning pitcher requirements, Kim Hyun-soo's wedge solo shot exploded in the eighth inning. The bullpen also protected Lee Jung-yong's victory.
After the game, Lee Jung-yong said, "I'm happy that the team won. The batters played well and the defenders were also helped. He also blocked pitchers well in the middle, so he was able to become a winning pitcher. "I always try to do my best on the mound," he said.
He also achieved his goal of pitching six innings. Lee Jung-yong said, "Before today's game, I thought the pitchers behind me could play comfortably if I threw long innings, and I thought I should throw six innings and come down." "I'm glad I came down after achieving my goal," he said with a smile.
He has a different mindset when he plays as a starting pitcher. Lee Jung-yong said, "The starting pitcher seems to have a lot of tension, and the bullpen pitcher seems to have a lot of pressure. "I think I'm going to throw a long inning unlike when I throw in the middle, and even if one inning is bad, I'm going to control my mind by thinking that the next inning will start anew," he said.
Park Dong-won, who worked together as a battery, is also full of praise. Park Dong-won said, "Lee Jung-yong continued to improve. Fastball as well as forkball has improved. Originally, it's a style where fast balls soar, but in that way, forkballs have become more powerful, he said. "I try to use them more on days when forkballs are good," raising his thumb toward Lee Jung-yong.