Professional baseball player Lee Ji-kang (26) of the LG Twins returned from the second team and is now completely different. He has become an elite bullpen pitcher with an ERA below 1.0.
Lee Ji-kang recorded a hold with 4 strikeouts in 1⅓ innings of perfect pitching against the SSG Landers on the 12th at Jamsil Stadium.
Lee Ji-kang took the mound with 2 outs and runners on first and second in the 7th inning, leading 6-4. Pitcher Kim Jin-sung allowed 2 runners to reach base with a hit and a walk after 2 outs. Lee struck out Jo Hyeong-woo on a swinging strike with a 146km fastball on a 2 balls-2 strikes count, escaping the crisis.
Lee Ji-kang also appeared in the 8th inning, striking out substitute Oh Tae-gon on the 9th pitch of a full count with a fastball (147km). Substitute Kim Seong-wook struck out on the 3rd pitch, with the 148km fastball being the decisive pitch. He allowed a surprise bunt hit on the first pitch to Eredia, but struck out Choi Jeong on a curveball and ended the inning. In the 9th inning, leading 8-4, he handed the ball over to Park Myeong-geun.
After the game, Lee Ji-kang said, "I feel good to be able to pitch well in an important situation, and personally I’m glad to be able to continue the good atmosphere," adding, "I thought a lot about the memory of feeling sorry when (Lim) Jun-hyung's inherited runners scored in the previous Kiwoom game and that I had to stop it at all costs today. I think I was able to stop them because I had power in my pitches today."
Lee Ji-kang said, "I felt from the warm-up pitching that my fastball had good power, so I tried to finish quickly and reduce my teammates' defense time to attack. Dong-won hyung quickly made the catch, and I pitched quickly according to his lead," and added, "There are times when the team is doing well and times when it is struggling, but I will continue to show good performance from my position to help the team."
Lee Ji-kang is a player who does tough work in the LG bullpen. Since manager Youm Kyoung-youb took office in 2023, he has been playing as a swingman, alternating between long relief, temporary starter, and bullpen.
Lee Ji-kang appeared as a temporary starter in the KIA game on April 26. However, the results were disappointing, as he was pulled early after pitching 3 innings and allowing 8 hits and 6 runs. He was sent down to the second team the next day. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb criticized, saying, "If you miss your chances, opportunities will diminish. Opportunities are not given continuously," noting that he had no decisive pitch, often ending up in full counts despite having 2 strikes.
He must be able to throw strikes with breaking balls even with unfavorable counts. He aimed to fill the gaps by pitching a lot in the second team. He recorded 1 win and an earned run average of 1.10 (2 runs in 16⅓ innings) while starting in 3 games in the Futures League.
Lee Ji-kang changed significantly after returning from the second team at the end of April. After returning to the first team on May 21, he has thrown 11⅔ innings in the following 10 games, allowing 10 hits, 3 walks, and 1 run while recording 10 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.77. His earned run average was 6.75 when he was sent down to the second team, but he has since shown elite bullpen characteristics with an ERA below 1.0 (0.77). His curve and changeup have improved in command.
Lee Ji-kang was selected by LG in the 2019 draft, 9th round, 85th overall. He served in the military and made his first team debut in 2022. In his first year under manager Youm Kyoung-youb in 2023, he recorded 2 wins, 5 losses, and 2 holds with an earned run average of 3.97 over 22 games (68 innings). Last year, he recorded 2 wins, 3 losses, 1 save, and 1 hold with an earned run average of 4.53 over 46 games (53⅔ innings). This year, he has recorded 1 win, 1 loss, 1 save, and 4 holds with an earned run average of 4.10 over 18 games.
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