'Five runs allowed through the first two innings': Kim Tae-hyung explains why he kept Lee Min-seok on the mound → "A starting pitcher must throw at least 80 pitches"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) clearly explained why he did not remove starting pitcher Lee Min-seok (23) early despite the pitcher being hammered from the start of the previous day's (13th) game. He also emphasized that starting pitchers must be responsible for a minimum number of innings and pitches to prevent overloading the bullpen.

On the 14th, manager Kim Tae-hyung met with reporters ahead of the away game against LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and commented on the game management of Lee Min-seok, who started the previous day (13th).

On this day, Lee Min-seok struggled with control early, allowing two runs in the first inning and three in the second, totaling five runs allowed through the first two innings. However, he held on without allowing any additional runs, finishing with six innings, eight hits allowed (one home run), two walks, one strikeout, and five earned runs, taking the loss. The result was somewhat disappointing, but he managed to minimize runs and held on well through the sixth inning.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "He had some control issues early in yesterday's game, but he held on well. I thought he would completely collapse after giving up a hit and a run in a crisis situation, but he maintained his own pace while pitching." He highly praised Lee's ability to withstand pressure. He continued, "If he had collapsed early, it would have been difficult to return to his original pace, but the ball felt better as the game progressed. I hope he can continue with that same feeling in the future."

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On the possibility of a pitching change early in the game, he drew a firm line. Manager Kim stated, "I had no intention of taking him out immediately just because he allowed many runs early on. A starting pitcher must take responsibility and stay on the mound for at least five innings and a minimum of 80 pitches to reduce the burden on middle relievers." As a result, it is analyzed that although Lotte lost, the bullpen's consumption was minimized thanks to Lee Min-seok holding the innings. On the 13th, Lotte used only two relief pitchers, Kim Kang-hyun and Park Jeong-min.

Facing LG starting pitcher Im Chan-kyu, Lotte lined up its starting lineup in the following order: Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Ko Seung-min (second baseman), Reyes (left fielder), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), Jeon Jun-woo (designated hitter), Son Ho-young (third baseman), Son Seong-bin (second baseman), and Jang Du-seong (right fielder).

Meanwhile, manager Kim also shared plans for balancing the outfielders' physical condition. Regarding the consideration of using Hwang Sung-bin as a designated hitter ahead of the 13th game, Kim Tae-hyung explained, "We are approaching a time when physical management is necessary. He will play defense until today. I saw him running around incredibly yesterday. Since there is a rest day on Monday, we will adjust the lineup according to the situation."

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*This content was translated by AI.