More than 23 years since Lee Sang-hoon! Will a left-handed saves champion emerge to end LG's brutal history? "The pace is so fast, I'm getting greedy."

*This content was translated by AI.

Left-handed pitcher Son Ju-young (28), who has transformed into a formidable guardian for the LG Twins, perfectly protected the team's one-run victory, revealing his unmistakable ambition to claim the sole saves champion title.

On the 23rd, Son Ju-young took the mound in the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and a slim 4-3 lead over the Samsung Lions in a 2026 KBO League regular-season game at Jamsil Stadium. He then pitched 1⅓ innings, allowing one hit, issuing three walks, and recording three strikeouts in a scoreless performance, securing his 16th save of the season. This brought him within one save of Samsung Lions' Kim Jae-yun (17 saves), who leads the league in the most saves category.

In particular, Son Ju-young's "bases-loaded strategy" displayed in the bottom of the 9th inning with one out and a runner on third base was the highlight. In a post-game interview, Son Ju-young directly explained the situation at the time: "The batters, including Kim Ji-chan and Kim Sung-yoon, have such excellent contact skills that giving up just one run would tie the game, creating immense pressure." He added, "As a groundball pitcher, our infielders were playing in a forward defensive position, making it difficult to induce a double play. I decided to take a gamble, thinking that if I filled the bases, the infield would shift back, allowing me to induce a double play."

Son Ju-young, who deliberately chose to extend the game to a bases-loaded situation, finished the game by striking out consecutive batters, including Koo Ja-wook and Lewin Diaz, who came up to bat, using his signature curveball and high fastball. His strong trust in catcher Park Dong-won also played a significant role. Son Ju-young expressed his gratitude, saying, "(Park) Dong-won's blocking is so perfect that I never worried about fastballs when throwing low."

Going into this season with no blown saves and an ERA of 0.87, he attributes his secret to "letting go." Son Ju-young smiled, saying, "As a closer, if I feel pressured to be perfect, I tend to walk batters and get hit when I try too hard. Today, I approached the game with a relaxed mindset, thinking, 'Let's just blow one save,' and I pitched without regrets, which led to a good result." Son Ju-young has recorded a save in every appearance except his first of the season on May 9 against the Hanwha Eagles and his appearance on May 24 against the Kiwoom Heroes. He has not yet blown a save opportunity.

After switching his role from starter to closer midway through the season, Son Ju-young has established himself as the league's top closer and now openly expresses his ambition for the most saves title. The record for the most saves in a single season in LG Twins franchise history is 42, achieved by Ko Woo-seok (28, with the Toledo Mud Hens, a Detroit Tigers affiliate) in the 2022 season. However, if we narrow the scope to left-handed pitchers, the history stretches back to 2003, when Lee Sang-hoon recorded 30 saves. Son Ju-young's overwhelming pace this season is being hailed as a historic effort to end LG's left-handed closer history of failure.

Son Ju-young admitted, "At first, I was worried and stressed about whether I would be asked to return to the starting rotation since the closer role was unfamiliar to me, but now, I am willing to go anywhere for the team's championship." He also revealed his true feelings: "At first, I had no thoughts, but given how fast my pace of accumulating saves has been, I honestly developed a desire for the saves champion title."

Finally, he mentioned his teammate Jang Hyun-sik, who has been performing excellently in his return to the starting rotation. "Seeing Hyung-sik, I feel like I might not have to go back," he said, but added, "Of course, if the team asks me to return to the starting rotation in the second half for the championship, I will. However, given the opportunity I have this season, I really want to secure the saves champion title. Next year, I want to challenge again as a starting pitcher in a stylish manner."

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*This content was translated by AI.