Professional baseball player Park Myeong-geun (21) of the LG Twins has been tasked with temporary closing duties and is securing crucial victories day after day.

On the 23rd, Park Myeong-geun took the mound as a closer in a game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field, recording a save with 1 inning pitched, 3 hits allowed, 2 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. Although he allowed a hit that scored a run, he preserved a one-run victory, granting manager Youm Kyoung-youb his 600th career win.

Park Myeong-geun took the mound in the 9th inning with a 3-1 lead. LG's starter Son Ju-yeong pitched 7 innings allowing 1 run before Kim Jin-sung held the game scoreless in the 8th inning.

He allowed a hit to lead-off batter Park Seong-han but struck out Choi Jeong on three pitches. After giving up a hit to pinch hitter Shin Beom-soo, he found himself in a one-out, one-third base crisis. He struck out left-handed batter Han Yu-seom on a full count with a low fastball (143 km) for a looking strikeout. It grazed the corner of the ABS zone.

Against pinch hitter Jeong Jun-jae, he seized a favorable count of 1 ball and 2 strikes and threw an outside curve (118 km) as an enticing pitch. Jeong Jun-jae checked his swing, but it hit his bat and fell inside the foul line after going over the third baseman's head, resulting in a hit that scored 1 run. With 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, he faced Lee Ji-young and was in a crisis after falling behind with 3 balls, but he secured the final out with a ground ball to the shortstop.

On the 20th, Park Myeong-geun prevented a disaster against Lotte. LG led 14-3 up to the 5th inning and activated the bullpen in the 6th. However, Sung Dong-hyun allowed 4 runs with 0 outs and Kim Yu-yeong allowed 2 more runs with 0 outs before being replaced.

Park Myeong-geun, who took the mound with no outs and runners on 2nd after a 14-9 lead, faced a crisis with a hit and a walk loading the bases, but extinguished the fire with a catcher's foul fly and consecutive strikeouts. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb praised him the next day, saying, "Park Myeong-geun saved the team and the two pitchers who came before him. He did a great job. I am very grateful."

On the 21st against Lotte, Park Myeong-geun took the mound in the 9th inning with a tied score of 7-7 and managed to hold the game scoreless. LG and Lotte recorded a 7-7 tie after 11 innings in extra time.

The LG bullpen essentially consists of just Park Myeong-geun and Kim Jin-sung as the main setup men. Lee Hyun-sik, who signed a free agent contract worth 5.2 billion won, was sidelined on the 13th due to a latissimus dorsi injury. Another free agent, Kim Kang-ryul, was also excluded from the first-team roster on the 14th due to shoulder discomfort. Subsequent examinations revealed a diagnosis of minor muscle damage. Both Lee Hyun-sik and Kim Kang-ryul will require about 4 weeks of rehabilitation.

Yu Young-chan, who performed well as a closer last year with 26 saves, underwent elbow surgery in December and is rehabilitating, having made his first appearance in the Futures League on the 22nd. He is expected to return to the first team by next weekend.

Veteran Kim Jin-sung and Park Myeong-geun are supporting the LG bullpen as key pillars. By the end of April, Park Myeong-geun recorded an ERA of 0 in 12 games, pitching 11⅓ innings without allowing a run. However, on the 7th against Doosan, he allowed 3 hits and 1 walk without recording a single out and was replaced while facing a bases-loaded situation. The reliever who took over allowed all 3 inherited runners to score, leading to 4 earned runs and a sharp increase in his ERA.

This season, he has recorded 2 wins, 1 loss, 3 saves, and 9 holds with an ERA of 2.95 in 23 games. He is contributing significantly to the team beyond just the numbers. Since Lee Hyun-sik's injury, he has recorded 2 saves and 3 holds with an ERA of 2.84 in 7 games.

In 2023, his debut year, Park Myeong-geun contributed to the team’s regular-season championship with 4 wins, 3 losses, 5 saves, and 9 holds, with an ERA of 5.08 over 57 games. Despite suffering minor injuries last year and posting 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 save, and 8 holds with an ERA of 6.39 in 33 games, he has regained his impressive form this year and is playing as a crucial setup man.

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