7 wins with super impact from the first game! Choi Won-tae [Jamsil Star], who was expected to be a good fit with LG

Right-hander Choi Won-tae (26-LG Twins) made an immediate impact in his first start after finalizing his transfer.

On March 30 against the Jamsil Doosan Bears, 카지노사이트 Choi pitched six innings of two-hit ball, striking out five and walking none to lead his team to a 10-0 victory and his seventh win in as many starts. He lowered his ERA to 3.07 from 3.25. LG (53W-2D-33L), which swept a three-game weekend series to win its fourth straight, maintained its lead atop the standings. Doosan (44-1, 41-41) dropped its fifth straight.

Choi Won-tae switched from Kiwoom Heroes to LG on Sept. 29 in exchange for outfielder Lee Ju-hyung, pitcher Kim Dong-gyu and a first-round draft pick in the 2024 KBO Draft. It was the perfect trade for a team that was leading the league but had obvious weaknesses in its starting lineup. It was also the final piece of the puzzle to win the Korean Series (KS) title, which they hadn’t lifted since 1994.

Initially, the game was scheduled for ace Adam Plutko, who left the lineup with a cold after the game against the KT Wiz in Suwon on the 25th. Despite the change of scenery, LG was able to secure the victory without extending the time between starts (six days off) for Choi Won-tae, who pitched against the Sasik Lotte Giants on the 23rd for Kiwoom. “If (Choi) hadn’t come, we would have had to find a substitute,” LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said before the game, adding that he was relieved that the team would be able to win more games in the second half.

Choi Won-tae took the mound at Jamsil Stadium for the first time in an LG jersey with the number 53 on it in the bottom of the first inning with the team leading 2-0. LG fans welcomed him with thunderous applause. Among the 19,500 fans in attendance, there were a number of people holding jerseys from Choi’s childhood.

It was a good start. Jung Soo-bin, Heo Kyung-min, and Kim Jae-hwan struck out in succession to get through the first inning. The teammates then took the pressure off Choi’s shoulders as Hoseobi and the entire starting lineup hit singles. With 4.57 runs supported per nine innings this season in Kiwoom, Choi was able to pitch comfortably with eight runs supported by the third inning.

Won-tae Choi’s pitching was also dazzling. He didn’t allow a single run until he gave up his first hit to Kang Seung-ho with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. After ending his perfect streak, he didn’t falter and calmly struck out Yang Chan-yeol. Earlier in the inning, he threw a changeup toward the body of right fielder Park Kye-beom and induced a swinging strikeout. His versatility was evident as he utilized all four pitches, including a fastball that topped out at 149 kilometers per hour, a curveball, a changeup and a slider. He was efficient, throwing just 75 pitches until he was replaced by Baek Seung-hyun in the seventh inning. It was a perfect start for the “LG Man,” Choi Won-tae.