“It was chewy.”
Lotte had a bloody battle with LG throughout the 3 days of the 3 consecutive matches during the week. In the first game on the 11th, they narrowly won 6-5. In the game on the 12th, a dramatic come-from-behind victory was on the horizon, 7-5 in the 8th inning, but Kim Won-joong collapsed in the 9th inning.
And on the 13th we met. bloodshed once again. By attacking LG starter Casey Kelly, he took a 6-2 lead, and despite LG’s pursuit, he did not miss this lead until the end and won a sweaty victory with a score of 8-7. Lotte brought the first winning series of the season.
Also, the process was not smooth. 메이저놀이터Starter Han Hyeon-hee barely held on with 5 runs in 5 innings and withdrew. Veteran bullpens such as Yoon Myeong-jun and Kim Sang-soo kept the lead. However, Lotte, who consumed the bullpen as much as he could, had no alternatives. Finisher Kim Won-joong threw 24 pitches (save) in 1/3 innings on the 11th and 23 pitches (blonde save) in 1/3 innings on the 12th. He had to take a break after 3 consecutive fights.
In the end, Koo Seung-min, who threw 29 pitches in 1⅔ innings on the 11th and rested 12 days, had to save 2 innings from the 8th inning. I prepared another alternative in the bullpen, but it was ideal to conclude the game with Koo Seung-min.
Of course, saving 2 innings is inevitably difficult, and there were several go-arounds. Goo Seung-min, who came up with an 8-5 lead, was hit with a solo shot by Park Dong-won in the 8th inning with no runners out and 2 out, giving up 1 run. However, he did not allow an extra base to advance.
In the ninth inning, he came on the mound and struck out Park Hae-min and Hong Chang-ki in a row. The end of the game seemed in sight. But it didn’t end easily. After two outs, Moon Seong-joo was allowed a double, and then Kim Hyun-soo, who was hit by a shocking home run the day before, was allowed a walk. He tried to win, but it was a calculation that he could not help even if he was given a walk. In the end, Austin got a timely left-handed hit from 2nd, 1st and 2nd base, and was chased by 8-7. The tragedy of the previous day seemed to come back to mind.
However, Koo Seung-min struck out Bo-kyung Moon on a swing with a fastball from 2nd out, 1st and 2nd base, ending the long game. He recorded a two-run save in two innings. Seung-min Koo’s save was the first save in 1397 days since the resignation KIA match on June 16, 2019.
He scored two runs, but Koo Seung-min’s expression after the game gave a smile as if he was relieved and said, “It was chewy.” Because he put an end to the bloody battle himself, his emotions were different. Regardless of his concessions, his words and facial expressions contained emotions that seemed to include a sense of accomplishment that the victory was made with his pitching that day.
Then, he said, “I felt comfortable that catcher (Jeong) Bo-geun came up and said that he would throw with confidence,” he said, “I couldn’t help it because Wonjoong was on a day off today.”
In the match against Kim Hyun-soo, who was threatening throughout the three-game series, he approached as cautiously as possible. “I thought it was not easy to win,” he said. He was thinking that it was okay to walk as hard as possible. He had to keep throwing manned balls,” he explained the tense situation.
Koo Seung-min is currently Lotte’s most hold hero with 89 holds. This record is currently in progress. With only 11 more holds this year, Lotte club can achieve 100 holds for the first time. The hold record itself is an achievement that can only be obtained by consistently maintaining team victories throughout the season.
From 2020 to last year, he already set a 20-hold record for three consecutive years, and this record is still in progress this year. As much as Koo Seung-min, there are fewer pitchers who can be trusted in the Lotte bullpen and do their part. Even in a situation where the team’s bullpen virtually collapsed, Koo Seung-min kept the victory in a game that could have been a major hurdle.
Even the collapsed bullpen should have a corner to lean on, and that existence was Koo Seung-min. It is no exaggeration to say that Koo Seung-min, who is heading toward Lotte’s first 100 holds, is supporting the Lotte bullpen alone.