Will LG regain its momentum? Yeom Kyung-yeop smiles at Ace's resurgence: "Tolhurst's average velocity up by 3 km/h → Regained his best form"

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) heaped praise on foreign pitcher Tolhurst (27), who secured his 11th win of the season with a perfect seven-inning scoreless performance against KT Wiz the previous day (19th).

Tolhurst made his season start on the 19th at Jamsil Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, facing KT. He threw 97 pitches over seven innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out five batters in a scoreless outing that led his team to a 1-0 victory, extending his record to 11 wins (9 losses) for the season.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop expressed satisfaction with Tolhurst's pitching when speaking to reporters on the following day (20th). Regarding questions about Tolhurst's performance, he said, "He has gone through a lot of mental strain, and together with the pitching coach, we have repeatedly worked on adjusting his mechanics." He added, "His average velocity has returned to its peak levels, and his release point, arm height, and overall balance during delivery have fully recovered."

Yeom further elaborated on specific details regarding velocity and pitch quality. "When things were not going well, his fastball averaged only 147–148 km/h, but at his best, it should reach 149–150 km/h or higher," he explained. "In yesterday's game, not only was the speed back, but his release point also stabilized, improving his form, pitch quality, and spin rate. Regaining the power he had during his peak period is the biggest gain."

He also emphasized the positive impact of starting pitchers handling long innings on the team. "Starting pitchers must be able to cover six to seven innings to allow stable bullpen management," Yeom stated. "Regaining the team's strong identity from the first half and building a comeback in the second half will depend heavily on starters' ability to eat up long innings."

LG's starting lineup for today's game against KT starter Ko Young-pyo was arranged as follows: Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Jeong-bin (first baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Dong-won (catcher), and Hong Chang-gi (right fielder). LG aims to sweep the series against KT.

The most significant changes involve the battery configuration and defensive repositioning of the core batting order. Starting catcher Park Dong-won, who rested the previous day, will now bat eighth and start behind the plate, leading starting pitcher Park Si-won. Austin, who played first base the day before, has moved to the third spot as designated hitter to focus solely on hitting, while Moon Jeong-bin takes over at first base batting fourth, guarding the infield corner.

Park Si-won will take the mound in pursuit of his first win of the season. Having appeared in 22 games this year without a win and with two losses and an ERA of 3.98, Park improved his condition by pitching four innings allowing only one run in his last appearance against SSG on the 15th. Notably, he has faced KT three times this season (three innings) with a perfect 0.00 ERA, raising curiosity about whether he can continue Tolhurst's strong performance after taking over the baton.

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*This content was translated by AI.