'Five consecutive saves, ERA 1.23' — The effect of closer Son Ju-young exceeds expectations; players also acknowledge it: "It's more comfortable than a collective closing system"

*This content was translated by AI.

With the back door secured, there is no more comfortable way to handle the late innings. The sense of security that closer Son Ju-young (28) provides to LG Twins players is beyond imagination.

On the 23rd, during the Jamsil Kiwoom Heroes game, Son Ju-young took the mound in the top of the 9th inning with LG leading 5-2. He pitched one inning, allowing one hit, no walks, and recording one strikeout in a scoreless outing, earning his fifth save of the season. This marks five consecutive saves since transitioning to the closer role. His ERA dropped from 1.42 to 1.23, maintaining smooth momentum. Thanks to this, LG completely erased the nightmare of the previous day's 0-7 defeat.

There were no significant crises. Son Ju-young quickly established a favorable 0 balls, 2 strikes count against the first batter, Kim Geon-hee, using only inside fastballs and cutters. After showcasing a fastball clocked at 149 km/h, he threw a slow curveball at the same location, dropping sharply and throwing off the batter's timing. The result was an out on a third baseman's grounder.

The same applied to Seo Geon-chang's at-bat. This time, he threw a 148 km/h fastball outside, followed by a 140 km/h cutter, inducing a third baseman's grounder. The hit against Lee Hyung-jong was a mistake ball that ended up in the hanbok area. However, Son Ju-young again gained the upper hand in the count battle. Even after allowing a baserunner, he finished the game by inducing a swing-and-miss strikeout from the next batter, Im Byung-wook, with two outside curveballs.

The infielders watching this scene felt nothing but calm. After the game, Park Dong-won, speaking with reporters, said, "I don't know what other players think, but from my perspective, having to face opposing batters continuously, it's more comfortable. We had a collective closing system for a while, but having a designated closer is indeed more reassuring. It also allows for better planning, which is a good thing."

When LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop first brought out Son Ju-young as the closer, fans reacted strongly against it. As the manager, he faced a difficult situation: existing closer Yoo Young-chan was likely out for the season due to elbow surgery, and the reliable relievers could not fill the role, making this a desperate measure.

However, Son Ju-young's potential was too attractive. He had started in the rotation for two consecutive years, securing 20 wins and earning the national team jersey. It felt like a waste to convert a left-handed starter, who is hard to develop, into a closer due to team circumstances. Moreover, his recent return from an inner thigh muscle strain just before the season also played a role.

The manager was well aware of this. During the process of selecting Son Ju-young as the closer, he gathered opinions from players and coaches. His past bullpen experience and the fact that his buildup sessions had been limited to 30–40 pitches actually proved helpful. Since transitioning to the closer role, he has avoided premature consecutive appearances and only enters in save situations. Players, aware of this, naturally accepted Son Ju-young as the closer.

Park Dong-won said, "When we heard that (Son) Ju-young would be the closer, I truly expected it would be great. First of all, he is an excellent pitcher with great stuff." He continued, "It also reminded me of the playoffs against Samsung. At that time, after facing Ju-young's pitches, I thought, 'If he becomes the closer, our back door will be very solid; he can definitely handle it well.' While Yoo Young-chan is better at closing, I believed Ju-young is also an excellent card as the next option."

In fact, Son Ju-young has a history of appearing in the bullpen during autumn baseball and firmly securing the back door. In the 2024 playoffs against Samsung Lions, as recalled by Park Dong-won, he pitched 1⅔ innings, allowing one run. In the same year's qualification playoffs against KT Wiz, he appeared in relief in both games, pitching 7⅓ innings with one walk and 11 strikeouts in a scoreless performance, showcasing overwhelming stuff.

LG, having extinguished the immediate fire with closer Son Ju-young, has now turned its attention to readjusting its reliable relievers. Existing reliable relievers Kim Jin-seong (ERA 1.17 in 10 games in May) and Kim Young-woo (ERA 3.18 in 6 games) are regaining stability. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop praised Kim Jin-su's strong heart, who has maintained an ERA of 1.59 in 8 games and emerged as a multi-inning reliever capable of bridging the 6th and 7th innings. Additionally, veterans such as Ham Deok-ju and Kim Kang-ryul have started their comeback engines in the Futures League, as LG prepares for another leap forward.

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*This content was translated by AI.