LG's Ham Deok-ju makes a 'surprise' start against Kiwoom on the 1st! He takes the mound from the first inning for the first time in 5 years since 2021 → Head-to-head with Alcantara

*This content was translated by AI.

As LG Twins face yet another test of improvisation, they have pulled out a bold starting card. Left-handed pitcher Ham Deok-ju (31) will make a surprise start to rescue the struggling LG mound.

LG has announced Ham Deok-ju as the starting pitcher for their away game against Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, on July 1. Facing him will be Kiwoom's starting pitcher, 'foreign ace' Raul Alcantara. This sets up an exciting showdown between a native left-hander and the league's top foreign ace.

Ham Deok-ju's start this time is a 'desperate measure' unconventional card born from the team's life-or-death crisis. With a string of departures and gaps among its starting pitchers, LG had turned to Jang Hyun-sik and Lee Jeong-yong as starters, entering a crisis mode. However, after Lee Jeong-yong collapsed in the Jamsil Samsung game on the 25th, allowing 8 earned runs in 5 innings, Jang Hyun-sik took the loss in the Sajik Lotte game on the 29th, giving up 4 earned runs in 2⅔ innings. The bullpen's fatigue is also accumulating as the first half of the season draws to a close.

To make matters worse, Lee Jeong-yong was removed from the first-division roster on the 26th, completely leaving the starting spot for the Kiwoom game vacant. Song Seung-gi, who is preparing to return from the minor league, is focusing on the final three-game series against Samsung Lions in the first half and is currently unavailable for immediate deployment.

In this situation, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop had issued a strict gag order regarding the starting pitcher for the 1st. Excluding Kim Jin-su, who has been overworked in the bullpen, from the candidates, Manager Yeom stated, "It will be either Park Si-won or one of the middle relievers," effectively previewing an unconventional 'bullpen day.'

The protagonist of that 'surprise card' was none other than Ham Deok-ju. Ham's start comes 1,897 days after his last start on April 21, 2021, against the Jamsil KIA Tigers. Having served as a core member of the LG bullpen and an all-around asset for a long time, he will take the mound from the first inning as a starter, not a reliever, for the first time in 5 years since the 2021 season.

His opponent is Kiwoom's ace, Alcantara. While he may be at a disadvantage in terms of objective starting weight, if the experienced Ham Deok-ju succeeds in seizing the early momentum, LG still has a solid chance. However, he is not expected to pitch long innings, given his role is closer to that of an opener. Fans' attention is focused on Gocheok Dome to see whether Ham Deok-ju, who will throw from the first inning as a starter for the first time in 5 years, can overcome the showdown with Alcantara and turn LG's crisis into an opportunity.

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*This content was translated by AI.