LG Twins closing pitcher Go Woo-seok (25) overcame the shock in one day.
LG won a thrilling 5-4 victory in Game 2 of the Korean Series against KT Wiz in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 8th. It\'s a come-from-behind victory. With this, LG balanced the series record with 1 win and 1 loss.
It was an arduous journey to victory. This is because starting pitcher Choi Won-tae was eliminated with only 1 out. It was an unplanned bullpen day. LG\'s bullpen was strong. Lee Jeong-yong 1⅔ innings, Jung Woo-young 1⅓ innings, Kim Jin-seong ⅔ innings, Baek Seung-hyun ⅔ innings, Yoo Young-chan 2⅓ innings, Ham Deok-ju 1 inning, and Go Woo-seok 1 inning, combined for 8⅔ scoreless innings.
In the batting lineup, the veterans did it. Kim Hyun-soo hit a timely hit to chase, and Oh Ji-hwan woke up the batting lineup with a solo shot. And crucially, Park Dong-won played an active role by hitting a come-from-behind two-run gun.
And one player cannot be left out. This is Go Woo-seok.
In the first match held the day before (the 7th), Go Woo-seok suffered pain. This is because he gave up a comeback at a moment when the score was 2-2, resulting in a loss.
The situation was like this. Go Woo-seok, who took the mound in the top of the 9th inning, quickly got 2 outs by hitting first batter Park Byeong-ho with a grounder to shortstop and Jang Seong-woo with a fly ball to left field. However, a sense of crisis was felt as he gave up a walk after a close battle that went all the way to the 9th pitch in his batting position. In Moon Sang-cheol\'s next at-bat, he took the lead by getting 2 strikes first, but then he threw 2 balls in a row. The 5th fastball is a foul. In this way, a 6-pitch match unfolded, and on the 6th pitch, a 133km curveball was driven to the center, allowing a double that hit the fence directly. This is the moment when the game turned 2-3. LG failed to score in the bottom of the 9th inning and lost.
With the loss that day, LG missed a 74.4% chance of winning. The importance of winning the first game in a short-term game cannot be overemphasized, but Go Woo-seok\'s heartache could not have been expressed as he caused the defeat with his own hands.
Go Woo-seok gained strength again. He had the opportunity to take the mound in Game 2, and he blocked well that day, proving that he is the best closer in the league.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, Park Dong-won\'s come-from-behind two-run shot made the score 5-4. Go Woo-seok took the mound. He welcomed pinch hitter Kim Min-hyuk. After showing three fast balls in a row, he lured the fourth ball into a 130km curve and struck out with a missed swing. And it\'s Cho Yong-ho. This time, he struck out Cho Yong-ho with a 151km fastball on the fourth pitch. This time, he did well until 2 outs. He threw a series of 154km fastballs to the last batter, Kim Sang-soo, and turned him into a grounder to second base. Cleanly deleted one inning. I was able to wash away the pain of the previous day.
Go Woo-seok, whom I met after the game, did not smile brightly. Go Woo-seok said, "He just thought he had to focus on the game, and he\'s not that excited yet. Still, I\'m very happy (the team won)."
The injury suffered during the Cheongbaek Battle has continued to bother Go Woo-seok. Go Woo-seok pitched in the 9th inning of a practice game against Sangmu on the 1st, but he felt back pain and stopped pitching. The next day, he went to the hospital and underwent an MRI, and the results showed that he had simple back muscle pain. He was fortunate that he was not seriously injured.
His appearance in the Korean series was also without problems. His physical condition was fine, but the problem was that he was insecure.
Go Woo-seok said, "I wasn\'t feeling well during the practice game. That\'s why I was worried. I think I was especially worried about yesterday (the 7th)," and then said, "I was in better shape than if I was anxious myself. It was the most bitter medicine, but it was the worst medicine." “I think it helped me better prepare for today’s game,” he said with a sigh of relief.
Winning the second game is meaningful for both LG and Go Woo-seok. Go Woo-seok said, “Winning every game is important, but I think today was a slightly more important win. There are now 3 wins left,” and added, “I would like to give 100 points for today’s pitch. I am personally satisfied that I pitched well where I wanted.” “You have to maintain good condition,” he pointed out.
LG fans are enthusiastic about their support. Following the first game, the second game also had a full crowd. Even the third base side was filled with LG fans.
Go Woo-seok said, "When (Dong-won Park) hit a come-from-behind home run in the bottom of the 8th inning, my ears were ringing. I was originally going to throw one more ball and go out, but the adrenaline rose from the shouts, so I rested for a long time and went up. I calmed down. “It went up,” he said. “The shouting for a strikeout was really loud. I threw because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to live up to the fans’ expectations if I didn’t get a strikeout.” 토토
The head coach also did not spare praise. Coach Yeom Kyeong-yeop said, "Today, he showed his true colors. The players, myself, and the staff all gave words that could instill confidence in (the late) Woo-seok. Yesterday, there were bad parts, parts where the fastball flew, and we had a meeting and talked about it. “Today, I mastered the fastball. I’m looking forward to the future,” he said with a bright smile.