Two consecutive starts by four of LG's key relievers were not made; the bullpen is being conserved as the team heads into May. Key players who will be the "champions of the championship" are also returning.

*This content was translated by AI.

Having conserved its key relievers and snapped its losing streak, LG Twins will enter May with an even stronger roster.

On April 30, LG defeated KT Wiz 6-5 in a regular-season away game at Suwon KT Wiz Park, located in Joyeon-dong, Jangang-gu, Suwon Special City, Gyeonggi Province. With this win, LG ended a four-game losing streak against KT this season, broke its three-game losing streak, and reduced the gap to the first-place KT (19 wins, 9 losses) to 1.5 games, now sitting at 17 wins and 10 losses.

It was not an easy game for LG. The departure of closer Yoo Young-chan (29) due to a right elbow injury was a major blow. Without the reliable backstop that had led the saves league, LG suffered three consecutive extra-inning losses amid uncharacteristic errors and poor control.

As a result, key relievers Kim Jin-seong (41), Jang Hyun-sik (31), Woo Kang-hoon (24), and Kim Young-woo (20) were in an overworked situation with two consecutive starts. LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) clearly stated before the game that he would not use the four pitchers.

Manager Yeom said, "In fact, even yesterday (April 29), according to my manual, I should not have used (Kim) Young-woo or (Woo) Kang-hoon. But with no other pitchers available, I had no choice but to use them, which led to the worst possible outcome. I used them to try to win once in a situation where they shouldn't have been used, and that was the result."

He continued, "I have learned another lesson, and fans can criticize the manager. Today (April 30), all four will rest. Only (Ham) Deok-ju will go out, and we will try to use the remaining players well."

With the senior-most remaining reliever being Ham Deok-ju (31), starting pitcher Im Chan-kyu (34) had to hold on as long as possible, while the batters needed to quickly pull out the opposing ace, Caleb Boshly (33). And they succeeded.

LG's Im Chan-kyu pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 walks, striking out 4, and giving up 4 earned runs, fulfilling his role. KT's Caleb Boshly pitched 4 innings (92 pitches), allowing 4 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, striking out 3, and giving up 3 earned runs, logging the fewest innings since his KBO debut. Following him, Kim Yu-young (⅓ inning, 1 earned run), Kim Jin-soo (2 innings, scoreless), and Ham Deok-ju (1 inning, scoreless) delivered performances comparable to the key relievers, securing the team's victory.

With this win, LG closed out its last game of April, marking the highest monthly winning percentage and heading into May. Moreover, welcome faces are scheduled to join one after another, making LG's May even more anticipated.

Manager Yeom said with emphasis, "On May 1, Lee Sang-young and Lee Jong-jun will be called up. Then, if Kim Yun-sik and Son Ju-young pitch in the Futures League, they will be called up as well. Bae Jae-jun will also be called up if he pitches. One by one, they will return."

The most notable names are Lee Sang-young (26) and Kim Yun-sik (26). Lee Sang-young is a left-handed pitcher who graduated from Busan Suyoung Elementary, Gaeseong Middle, and Busan High Schools, and was drafted by LG in the 2nd round, 5th pick of the 2019 KBO Rookie Draft.

After completing his military service in the Army Baseball Team (now known as the Army Baseball Team), he joined mid-2023 and recorded a 3.27 ERA in 6 games, contributing partially to the team's championship win. However, he also caused disappointment. In September 2024, he was suspended for one year by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in December of that year due to drunk driving.

As a result, he missed the entire 2025 season and is now waiting to return in the Futures League as a development player. Lee Sang-young's 2026 Futures League stats so far include 6 games, 1 win, 1 loss, a 3.77 ERA, 28⅔ innings, 13 walks and hit-by-pitches (10 walks, 3 hit-by-pitches), 25 strikeouts, and a batting average against of 0.305.

Kim Yun-sik, who has returned after fulfilling his military obligation, has also completed his return preparations. Kim Yun-sik is a left-handed pitcher who graduated from Gwangju Seoseok Elementary, Mudung Middle, and Jinheung High Schools, and was drafted by LG in the 2nd round, 3rd pick of the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft.

He established himself in the first division from his debut year and contributed to the Korean Series championship win in 2023, the first in 29 years, with 17 games, 6 wins, 4 losses, a 4.22 ERA, 74⅔ innings, and 42 strikeouts. After being released from the roster on the 21st last month, Kim Yun-sik made a successful return appearance against the Samsung Lions Futures team, pitching 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, no walks, striking out 2, and remaining scoreless.

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*This content was translated by AI.