LG Twins pitcher Chan-gyu Lim.
The LG Twins and KT Wiz, who are tied 1-1 in the Korean Series (best-of-seven), will travel to Suwon on Tuesday for the third game.
If they take this game, they will have an absolute advantage in winning the championship. In the history of the Korean Series, the first team to win two games after being tied 1-1 (including a tie) has won the title 85% of the time (17 out of 20 times).
Game 3 would be even more important than Game 1, with a lot of weight on the shoulders of Chan-kyu Lim (LG) and Wes Benjamin (KT), who were given special starting assignments.
Both LG and KT have high hopes for the pitcher who won the most games on their teams this season. Im Chan-kyu, who has improved his game management skills, had a career-high season with a 14-3 record and a 3.42 ERA, while Benjamin, in his first full season in the KBO, was outstanding with a 15-6 record and a 3.54 ERA.
On a relative basis, KT has the advantage. Benjamin, the "twin killer," pitched dominantly against LG, going 4-0 with a 0.84 ERA in five games. "Every time Benjamin meets us, he has a 'scratch day,'" LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop said. Lim Chan-kyu, on the other hand, has struggled against KT this year, going 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA in four appearances.
LG Twins pitcher Im Chan-kyu.
However, the regular season is different from the postseason, where head-to-head records are not an absolute indicator. KT catcher Jang Sung-woo said, "The condition of each player on game day is more important."
Yoon believes that the bats are capable of scoring five runs, so if they can hold KT's offense to three or four runs, they have a chance to win. However, Lim Chan-kyu will be responsible for the long innings.
LG played "beehive baseball" in game two, as starter Choi Won-tae was pulled with only one out. While the bullpen has plenty of resources, back-to-back early exits by starters can put a strain on the bullpen. Lim Chan-kyu has pitched five innings or more 23 times in 26 starts this season.
"I'm a successful nerd (otaku) myself," said Lim, who started out as an Elin (LG Twins child member) and ended up pitching in the Korean Series, "and I want to leave a mark on every ball and every scene."
He added, "KT batters hit well in the Korean Series, so I won't change much (in preparation for the game). I'm going to throw the ball the same way I always do." 슬롯사이트
