LG pitchers Choi Won-tae and Lim Chan-kyu improved their game in the Cheongbaeik Game.
LG held its own seven-inning Chungbaek Game at LG Champions Park in Icheon on June 26. It was the second game in the training camp. The main team won 2-0 against the backup team.
Choi Won-tae tossed 3⅓ innings (40 pitches) of 5-hit ball with a high fastball of 144 km/h, while Lim Chan-kyu threw 4 innings (39 pitches) of 1-hit ball with a high fastball of 142 km/h. Kim Hyun-soo and Austin each had one RBI, while Moon Sung-ju was the only other player with multiple hits (two). First-round rookie catcher Kim Bum-seok made a surprise appearance at catcher in the final inning.
Hong Chang-ki (center field), Park Hae-min (designated hitter), Kim Hyun-soo (left field), Austin (first base), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Bo-kyung (third base), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-joo (right field), and Shin Min-jae (second base) started for the main team. Park Dong-won, whose left wrist is feeling better, wore a catcher’s mask, while Shin Min-jae, who recovered from a sore thigh, started at second base.스포츠토토
The backups were Ahn Ik-hoon (center field), Jung Ju-hyun (second base), Kim Min-sung (third base), Lee Jae-won (left field), Kim Bum-seok (first base), Son Ho-young (shortstop), Song Chan-ui (right field), Heo Do-hwan (catcher), and Seo Geon-chang (designated hitter).
Choi Won-tae pitched for the backup team. After Hong Chang-ki grounded out to short in the first inning against Choi, Park Hae-min laid down a bunt. The pitcher, Choi Won-tae, threw the ball to first base, but Jung Joo-hyun, who was covering the bases, couldn’t catch it with his glove and it bounced. Park advanced to second on a bunt single and an error.
Kim Hyun-soo followed with a double down the left field line. With one out, Austin singled to left field and Oh Hwan struck out swinging. Two batters later, Moon Sung-joo singled up the middle, but Shin Min-jae was thrown out on a pitcher’s interference.
In the third, Hong Chang-ki led off with a single to right, and Park Hae-min laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second. Kim Hyun-soo flied out to right field, but Austin followed with a single to right.
Lee Woo-chan came on after Choi Won-tae in the top of the fourth. Lee gave up a single to Park Dong-won, but got Moon Sung-joo to fly out to left field and Shin Min-jae to ground out to first base to end the inning. In the fifth, Lee got Hong Chang-ki to ground out to shortstop, Park Hae-min to strike out, and Kim Hyun-soo to fly out to end the inning. Lee pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings of one-hit ball.
Choi Dong-hwan pitched the sixth inning and struck out Austin, Oh Ji-hwan, and Moon Bo-kyung. In the seventh, Kim Jin-soo came on and gave up a leadoff single to Moon Sung-joo. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Hong Chang-ki flied out to center field to end the threat.
Starting for the main team, Im Chan-kyu pitched four innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts against the backup team. He retired all nine batters he faced from the first through third innings. In the top of the fourth inning, he gave up his only hit when Jung Ju-hyun singled to right. Kim struck out Kim Min-seong and got him to ground out to first base.
After Lim, Kim Dae-hyun came on in the fifth and pitched two innings of one-hit, one-strikeout ball. Sung Dong-hyun followed with a scoreless inning of one-hit ball.
Kim Bum-seok, who started as the backup first baseman, wore a catcher’s mask in the seventh inning and batted with Kim Jin-soo. “Just in case,” manager Yoon Kyung-yeop said.
Kim will be in the Korean Series roster. He is the third catcher on the roster after Park Dong-won and Heo Do-hwan, but he has only played first base and designated hitter this season due to shoulder rehabilitation. Kim Bum-seok went 0-for-2 on the day. Lee Jae-won went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.