Lotte Giants pitcher Choi Jun-yong returned as the 'reliable man' in the most critical moment.

On the 21st, at Sajik Stadium in Busan, Lotte Giants faced LG Twins in their fourth matchup of the season. The game, which had seen score exchanges from the start, was tied 5-5 through the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, LG took a 7-5 lead after targeting Lotte setup man Jung Cheol-won. In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and a runner on first base, Ko Seung-min hit a game-tying two-run home run against LG's ace Kim Jin-sung.

Lotte's closer Kim Won-joong escaped a crisis in the top of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second. LG's Park Myeong-geun also overcame a last-minute crisis in the bottom of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second.

In the top of the 10th inning, Lotte sent Choi Jun-yong to the mound. This was Choi's third appearance of the season since being called up to the first team on the 17th. He struggled in his last appearance against Samsung on the 18th, pitching ⅓ inning with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs.

Choi Jun-yong walked the lead-off batter Moon Sung-ju. Kim Hyun-soo attempted two bunts, but both went foul, and he was out on a pop-up to the shortstop. With one out and a runner on first, the catcher Yoo Kang-nam and second baseman Lee Ho-jun tagged out the runner trying to steal second base. Choi ended the inning by forcing Austin to pop out.

Choi Jun-yong, who threw 17 pitches in the top of the 10th, continued throwing in the top of the 11th. He struck out Moon Bo-gyeong with three pitches after delivering two 150 km fastballs for a strike. Park Dong-won was out on a ground ball to the pitcher on the first pitch, and Song Chan-ui struck out swinging on a dropping curve.

Choi threw 28 pitches over two innings, with no hits allowed, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts, resulting in no earned runs. His fastball reached a top speed of 152 km. Thanks to Choi Jun-yong’s no-earned-run performance over 2 innings, Lotte finished with a 7-7 tie.

After the game, Choi Jun-yong expressed gratitude to his teammates, saying, 'I went to the mound with the thought of just not giving up walks. I think I was too conscious of that, starting with a walk to the first batter. Looking back, I regret that part, but thanks to Hyung-nam’s caught stealing and Ho-jun’s good catching, we were able to navigate the game more easily.'

Choi Jun-yong also noted, 'It's unfortunate that today's game ended in a tie, but it was a game that showcased our concentration, with scores following our runs and runs after two outs. Based on this atmosphere, we will repay the fans with good results in the remaining games this week.'

A significant asset has emerged for the Lotte bullpen. Choi Jun-yong joined Lotte as the first overall pick in the 2020 rookie draft. He made his mark in the bullpen starting in his second year in 2021. During the 2021 season, he recorded 4 wins, 2 losses, 20 holds, and 1 save in 44 games with an earned run average of 2.85.

In the 2022 season, he took over as the closer mid-season, appearing in 68 games with 3 wins, 4 losses, 6 holds, and 14 saves, maintaining an earned run average of 4.06. In the 2023 season, he appeared in 47 games, recording 2 wins, 3 losses, 14 holds, and an earned run average of 2.45, solidifying his position in the bullpen for three consecutive seasons.

However, in the 2024 season, he struggled with 1 win, 2 losses, 3 holds, and an earned run average of 5.40 over 27 games, and suffered a shoulder injury in early June, ending his season prematurely. After undergoing surgery and rehabilitation, Choi had a setback with elbow pain during spring training. After recovering his condition through rehabilitation, Choi made his first appearance in the Futures League in mid-May and was called up to the first team on the 17th.

With pillars Jung Cheol-won and Kim Won-joong in the bullpen, Choi Jun-yong has returned as the reliable man.

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