LG Twins veteran pitcher Lim Chan-kyu earned his fourth win of the season.
LG moved from a tie for first place to sole possession of first place with a 9-1 victory over SSG at Landers Field in Incheon on April 23.
LG starter Im Chan-kyu played a big role in the win. He pitched six innings of one-run ball to help his team pull off the upset. He allowed three hits, one walk, three strikeouts, and one home run in six innings, but his quality pitching helped secure the win.
Lim made his professional debut in 2011, but has struggled in the last two seasons, 2021-2022. In 2021, he posted a meager 1-8 record in 17 appearances, and last year he went 6-11 in 23 starts. He was never able to establish himself as a starter.
Im became a free agent after last season, but he opted to stay in free agency due to his poor performance. This year, he started the season as a bullpen pitcher instead of a starter. Coach Yoon Kyung-yup gave the veteran a role in the middle of the game.
Im, who started the season as a middle reliever, took over the starting role after the opening day due to an injury to starter Lee Min-ho.먹튀검증
In his first start against Hanwha on April 22, Lim threw five scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. He earned his second win of the season with six scoreless innings against Kiwoom on May 11, and his third win of the season with five innings of two-run ball against KT on May 17.
A win over SSG on May 23 gave him four wins in less than two months this season, after only six wins all season last year.
This season, Im has shown a more relaxed approach. He gave up a leadoff solo home run to SSG Choi Joo-hwan in the second inning, but smiled afterward.
In the sixth inning, he was hit in the hip area by a hard hit by Choi Ji-hoon and later gave up a single to Choi Jeong. However, he struck out Heredia on a full count to end the threat.
Im, who was on the mound until the sixth inning, pumped his fist in the air as he struck out Heredia. Despite being hit by a home run and a hard-hit pitch, Im was all smiles.
You can see the ease of a veteran pitcher in his smile. He’s been down and out, and his confident smile has been responsible for his team’s recent victories.
LG won the first game of a three-game midweek series against SSG to move into sole possession of first place with 27 wins, one draw and 14 losses, knocking SSG into second place. It’s the first time in 26 days that they’ve been in sole possession of the top spot after 27 last month.
A big part of LG’s rise to the top has been the four wins in the first four games from homegrown veteran Lim Chan-kyu.