Will 'No. 1' LG grow even stronger? Finally, a pitcher secured the season's first win! Why did he say he was stressed so often?

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins secured a crucial victory. At the center of it all was pitcher Lee Jung-yong (30), who finally achieved his first win of the season.

On the 19th, Lee Jung-yong started against the Doosan Bears in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Stadium. He pitched five innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and one strikeout, while giving up two earned runs. He fulfilled his role and earned the win, marking his first victory of the season.

LG secured a 3-2 comeback victory. With this win, the team snapped a two-game losing streak, improving to 43 wins and 26 losses. They maintained their first-place standing in the league.

While LG has effectively utilized its starting rotation featuring Tolhurst, Wells, and Im Chan-kyu, Lee Jung-yong, Kim Yun-sik, Jang Hyun-sik, and Song Seung-gi are competing for the remaining two rotation spots. If Lee continues to perform well, the team's strength is expected to grow even further.

After this game, Lee Jung-yong's season record stands at 16 appearances, 1 win, 2 losses, 1 hold, and an ERA of 6.05. Over 38⅔ innings, he allowed 55 hits (including two home runs), issued 15 walks, recorded 19 strikeouts, and gave up 29 runs (26 earned). His WHIP stands at 1.81, and opponents' batting average against him is 0.335.

Lee has alternated between relief and starting roles this season. After appearing in six relief games, he started on April 23 (against Hanwha) and the 29th. He then returned to the bullpen for three games before resuming his starting role from May 16 onward. Until now, he had not secured a win, but finally achieved victory in this game.

His total pitch count for the game was 68, consisting of 21 sliders, 20 fastballs, 15 curveballs, and 12 forkballs. His fastest fastball reached 145 km/h.

Except for the first inning, his pitching was virtually flawless. Doosan's leadoff hitter, Jung Soobin, reached base with a double against Lee. Park Chan-ho then hit a fielder's choice grounder to the pitcher, allowing Jung Soobin to advance to second base. Subsequent batter Son A-seop drew a walk. Cameron then hit a two-run double to the center field, scoring Jung Soobin from second base. Kim Min-seok followed with a double to center, loading the bases. Yang Seok-hwan then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, driving in a run to make it 2-0.

However, from the second through fifth innings, Lee pitched scoreless ball. Notably, he retired all three batters in the second, fourth, and fifth innings, effectively shutting down the Doosan lineup.

After earning the win, Lee Jung-yong said, "I'm happy to secure a victory. I gained a lot of experience in the Futures League before being promoted to the first division. It feels truly great to contribute to the team in my return game and even earn the win."

He continued, "Previously, I tried too hard to be perfect, which caused me a lot of stress and worry. This time, I decided to let go of that and talked with (Lee) Ju-heon about enjoying the game before taking the mound. In the first inning, I think there were some trial-and-error moments regarding the grip change on my breaking balls. From the second inning onward, I started finding my rhythm. By not avoiding the batter and taking an aggressive approach, I was able to achieve a positive result."

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*This content was translated by AI.