'Unexpected six-day summer break': LG wins three in the second half; will this be their last chance to revive their collapsed starting rotation?

*This content was translated by AI.

A break has come once again after the All-Star break. Due to extreme heat, five games were postponed. For the LG Twins, who have fallen into a severe slump in the second half, this could be another opportunity.

On the 6th, the KBO held an emergency executive committee meeting at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss league operations amid recent extreme heat and announced its decisions.

First, it was decided to cancel all 15 games originally scheduled from the 7th to 9 across five stadiums nationwide (Seoul Jamsil, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Changwon).

After the final game against the SSG Landers on the 4th, the team has now taken a five-game break. They will receive a total of six days off until their next away match against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 11th. This presents a golden opportunity to revive their stagnant momentum.

Defending champion LG finished the first half in second place, trailing only the top-ranked Samsung Lions by win percentage with no games behind them. However, they have become an entirely different team in the second half. In 16 games, they managed just three wins (12 losses, one tie), with a winning percentage stuck at 0.200.

The balance between pitching and hitting has completely collapsed. Most critically, the starting rotation is in severe disarray. The starting pitchers' ERA has soared to 7.45 — nearly three points higher than their season average of 4.86.

Asia quota pitcher Lachlan Wells, who was a key asset in the first half, has struggled with a 0–2 record and a 10.26 ERA over four games. Im Chan-gyu, tied for first place in wins, is also struggling with a 1–2 record and a 9.64 ERA in three starts. Song Seung-gi has similarly fallen into serious trouble with a 0–2 record and a 7.15 ERA in three appearances. Anders Tolhurst, who joined mid-last season and led LG to the championship, is also down to a 1–2 record and a 6.88 ERA over three games.

At least Im Chan-gyu, who recently secured a win, and Song Seung-gi, who ended his early exit slump after three games, are in slightly better shape. The problem with foreign pitchers remains serious.

Yeom Kyung-yeop, LG manager, stated: "The highest probability of winning occurs when the starter pitches at least five innings, the bullpen covers two or three innings, and then hands over to Son Ju-young. About 80% of our wins have come under that model. The first priority is ensuring this kind of operation works. Since the start of the second half, the poor results ultimately stem from starters failing to hold their ground. Even in the first half, when three starters were unavailable, we managed to survive five-inning stretches with replacement pitchers, allowing us to score late and win tight games. For us to return to strong performance, stabilizing the starting rotation is the key point."

Regarding Wells, Yeom said: "There's no special issue. Data shows a drop in RPM and velocity, but if problems arise, we should consider fatigue and provide rest. However, based on current data, there are no major concerns. I think we may need to change his pitching design. At this point, batters have likely figured out his patterns."

Tolhurst faces a somewhat different issue. "The pitching coach has probably discussed this with him. Ultimately, you win by attacking, not by just trying to avoid contact by throwing to the corners. He keeps getting into unfavorable counts and then gets hit when forced to throw in the middle. Last year, during his best stretch, he was able to limit batters to quick swings, often finishing close to seven innings with around 90 to 100 pitches."

He continued: "But after a year, I feel pressure to perform well, so I've been throwing to avoid contact, focusing only on the edges. However, I don't yet have the command to consistently hit those spots, which has created even more difficult situations. We need to simplify our approach. Whether we get hit or not is inevitable; the key is reducing pitch count. If he's throwing nearly 100 pitches in five innings and most at-bats start with two balls, isn't the likelihood of getting hit high? He needs to change his mindset. I believe he has already discussed this with the pitching coach."

Even for Manager Yeom, a former champion with extensive experience, this is a challenging moment. "Baseball seems to get harder the more you play it. There are too many variables. No matter how hard you try, some things just don't work out. That's why, having experienced everything, I don't say much to players who have already given their all. The primary responsibility lies with the player themselves, but the second lies with the manager and coaches. We must do whatever it takes to help them succeed. The fact that they're still struggling even after surpassing 100 games suggests there's definitely a reason."

Therefore, this six-day "summer break" during LG's slump feels especially welcome for the team.

It could allow for a complete reshuffling of the starting rotation order and provide time to address previously neglected training needs. Most importantly, it offers an ideal opportunity to break away from the familiar atmosphere of defeat that has replaced victory.

After 101 games, LG maintains a record of 55 wins, 45 losses, and one tie, with a winning percentage of 0.550. They trail first-place KT Wiz by 6.5 games, second-place Samsung Lions by five games, and are being chased by fourth-place Doosan Bears by just 1.5 games. While immediately changing the standings is unlikely, the immediate priority is to widen the gap with fourth place and set a target for the future.

There is high expectation for newly signed foreign pitcher Carlos Kara-sco. A veteran with 112 wins in Major League Baseball (MLB), Kara-sco made his KBO debut on the 1st against Doosan Bears, throwing just 74 pitches over seven innings and delivering a perfect pitching performance.

The SSG Landers also transformed their starting rotation completely in the second half following the addition of Pedro Avila. Similarly, if Carlos Kara-sco can stabilize the LG rotation, the team hopes that struggling pitchers will rise together once again, creating another opportunity for recovery.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.