'Thought the game ended after Choi Hyung-woo's home run' — Lim Chan-gyu, who reached a top speed of 143 km/h, changed his pitch mix and is now tied for first place in wins! How did Samsung's strongest lineup get shut down?

*This content was translated by AI.

The LG Twins pitching staff truly proved its strength. Even after giving up a home run to Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions), one of the league's best hitters from the very start, Lim Chan-gyu (34) did not crumble. On this day when he tied for first place in wins, Lim Chan-gyu prioritized his younger teammates who had endured the first half over himself.

On the 8th, Lim Chan-gyu started against Samsung at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in a regular-season game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He pitched five innings, allowing six hits (one home run), one walk, striking out six batters, and giving up two earned runs, leading LG to an 8-2 victory.

Even Lim Chan-gyu, who did not allow many balls to get past him against the league's strongest lineup, struggled. That day, he threw 74 pitches in total: 12 fastballs reaching a top speed of 143 km/h, 27 curveballs, seven cutters, and 28 changeups, generating seven swings and misses.

He started with difficulty after giving up a home run to Choi Hyung-woo right away. In the bottom of the first inning with two outs, Lim Chan-gyu engaged in a full-count battle against Koo Ja-wook and ultimately issued a walk. Following that, a changeup thrown outside to Choi Hyung-woo dropped toward the right-field fence. After video review confirmed it was a home run, Lim Chan-gyu allowed two runs.

After the game, Lim Chan-gyu reflected: "I think I had good records against Samsung at Lions Park and Jamsil Baseball Stadium last year, but it became a tough matchup after Senior Choi Hyung-woo joined Samsung. I thought about not allowing any runners in front of Senior (Choi) Hyung-woo, but the ball slipped a bit, and I gave a walk to the preceding batter (Koo Ja-wook)."

He continued: "I struck out Kim Sung-yoon with a slow changeup. Senior Hyung-woo then faced me with a slow changeup as well, but I gave up a home run. After that, I changed my game plan by using faster changeups. From now on, I will try to engage in quicker battles with Senior Hyung-woo."

However, Lim Chan-gyu did not waver afterward. He threw sliders, changeups, curveballs, and fastballs in succession to strike out Kim Young-woog with a swing-and-miss, and induced groundouts with unexpected breaking balls. Against Koo Ja-wook, he secured a strikeout via persistent outside pitches that resulted in swings and misses, while Lewin Diaz also swung and missed at a sharply dropping curveball.

With the help of an offense that piled up 14 hits (both long and short), Lim Chan-gyu improved his record to nine wins (two losses) for the season, taking the lead in league wins. LG, with 52 wins and 32 losses, reclaimed first place by one game over Samsung (50 wins, two ties, 32 losses). As the leader of the pitching staff, Lim Chan-gyu prioritized team victory and caring for his younger teammates who had struggled during the first half rather than celebrating his own achievement of leading in wins.

He expressed gratitude: "I approached this game thinking it was truly important, so I am honored that it helped us reclaim first place. It was a tougher game than an ordinary regular-season matchup, and our offense provided significant support."

The LG mound during the first half of the 2026 season was eventful. Less than a month into the season, closer Yoo Young-chan left due to elbow surgery, and foreign pitcher Yoni Chirinos, who had won the championship with them last year, was replaced due to poor performance. The struggles of Song Seung-gi and Anders Tolhurst, who had performed well last year, compounded the difficulties, making it a tough battle for LG to maintain first place.

Lim Chan-gyu stated firmly: "When Chirinos and (Yoo) Young-chan left during the first half, the manager and coaches were deeply concerned. Players naturally face criticism when they underperform. But I am telling my younger teammates in such crises that they must overcome these challenges."

He added: "Just as Kim Jin-soo has shone this year, I hope my younger teammates understand that this current slump is not a futile period and stay motivated. We will do our best to secure tomorrow's (9th) game and finish the first half in first place."

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*This content was translated by AI.