With the victory
LG strengthened its sole lead by widening the gap between second-place kt by 6.5 games.
In particular, the game resumed after an hour and 44 minutes of rain due to heavy rain after kt's attack in the bottom of the third inning. As a result, both team starters Choi Won-tae and Cuevas failed to play long innings, and LG, which eventually took the lead in the bullpen fight, laughed as it brought the first game of the series to victory.
However, for LG, Choi Won-tae's slump remains a big concern.
Choi Won-tae was sluggish with five hits (one home run) and one walk and two runs in three innings. Choi Won-tae, who had the worst pitching with 11 earned runs in four innings against Changwon NC on the 25th of last month, took a 10-day break due to manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's consideration, but failed to meet expectations.
Choi Won-tae is the winning contractor recruited from Kiwoom by LG, which is trying to reach the top of the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years.
LG, which had no native starting pitcher other than Lim Chan-kyu this season, recruited Choi Won-tae on the condition of giving up the right to nominate fielders Lee Joo-hyung, pitcher Kim Dong-kyu and the first round of the 2024 rookie draft through a trade with Kiwoom in late July.
Choi Won-tae, who started against Doosan immediately after the trade, made his brilliant LG debut by becoming a winning pitcher with two hits and no runs in six innings. However, in his second start since his transfer to LG, he showed some ups and downs as he became a losing pitcher with six runs in five innings against Samsung.
On the 12th of last month, he became a winning pitcher with two runs in five innings against his former team Kiwoom, but he has not won in three games since then.
In particular, Choi Won-tae, who played in 17 games in Kiwoom this season with 6 wins, 4 losses, and a 3.25 ERA, has left a disappointing report card with a whopping 7.50 ERA in six games since his transfer to LG.
Currently, LG needs Choi Won-tae's performance more urgently because the first starter Plutko has been out of power due to a left pelvic bruise. If Choi Won-tae, who was brought as the winning contractor, continues to be sluggish, LG will have no choice but to carry anxiety even if it goes straight to the Korean Series.