LG, led by head coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, won 15-4 in Game 4 of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Korean Series KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 11th, taking it one step closer to winning the Korean Series with a record of 3-1 in the series. One more win in the remaining series will achieve the third Korean Series championship in the club's history since 1990 and 1994.
LG, which took the lead with starter Kim Yun-sik's good pitching and Kim Hyun-soo's first two-run shot, pushed KT hard with four consecutive innings from the top of the fifth inning with a 2-0 lead. At the same time, the game was tilted sharply toward LG. Seven points in the top of the seventh inning and three points in the top of the eighth inning were crucial. In particular, eight consecutive hits in the top of the seventh inning were the most consecutive hits in the Korean Series.
LG, which solidified its victory due to the explosion of the batting line, was able to finish the game while saving the must-win group, including Ko Woo-suk, and after the seventh inning, it seemed to use backup members and chasing groups. The result was not bad, with "Rookie" Kim Bum-seok, who came out as a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth inning, hitting a hit.
The problem was after the bottom of the eighth inning. Lee Woo-chan, who took the mound as the fourth pitcher, was sluggish with two hits, two outs, one strikeout and two runs in ⅓ innings. Choi Dong-hwan, who took the mound as the fifth pitcher, put out the urgent fire with one out and one strikeout and no run in the ⅔ innings.
In addition to Lee Woo-chan and Choi Dong-hwan, there were other pitchers who took the mound for inspection. It was Choi Won Tae. Choi Won-tae, who started Game 2, was sluggish with two hits and two outs and four runs in the ⅓ innings, leaving Lee Jung-yong with a mound after pitching 20 pitches. At that time, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop indicated that he would consider whether to continue to use Choi Won-tae as a starter or choose another option in the future.
And before Game 4, manager Yeom said, "The plan has changed with the victory of the previous day's game (Game 3)," and announced his plan to start Choi Won-tae in Game 6. The bench judged that it was necessary to check once whether Choi Won-tae could play in Game 6 as scheduled.
15-3 12-point lead. Compared to the second game, the situation itself was less burdensome. However, Choi Won-tae also walked Song Min-seop after the leadoff hitter Cho Yong-ho's walk in the bottom of the ninth inning, causing a crisis of first and second bases with no outs. Afterwards, Shin Bon-ki's ground ball and Lee Ho-yeon's sacrifice fly contributed one point. Pinch-hitter Kim Joon-tae's grounder to third base did not score additional runs, but the bench failed to show the expected pitch. The final result was one inning without a hit, two outs, and one run.
Choi Won-tae was expected to serve as a "winning vice president" when he wore LG's uniform in a trade from Kiwoom Heroes at the end of July. At the time, head coach Yeom Kyung-yeop did not hide his expectations for the "effect of recruiting Choi Won-tae," saying, "It feels like my clogged stomach is breaking." He struggled in a slump without much performance. Choi Won-tae, who took over as the second starter in the Korean Series as foreign pitcher Adam Plutko ended the season early due to an injury, is continuing a sluggish trend.
Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, who was asked about Choi Won-tae by reporters after the end of Game 4, said, "I made Choi Won-tae throw to check (the condition), but it is burdensome to use him as a starter in Game 6 because the balance has not returned yet. I don't think I should use it," he said firmly.
"As of now, if we go to Game 6, we will have to think about who will be the starting pitcher. I think I have to think about it tomorrow (12th)," he added. Choi Won-tae was definitely nailed that he would not leave Choi Won-tae to take the heavy responsibility of starting.
In the end, the best scenario for winning the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years is only one and four consecutive wins. The starting pitcher for Game 5 on the 13th is Casey Kelly, a foreign pitcher. LG dreams of confirming the championship with an ace who has been a pillar of the starting lineup for a long time. If you lose Game 5, the counting method becomes a little complicated. It remains to be seen whether LG will be able to end the series in Game 5.