Professional baseball player Im Chan-kyu of the LG Twins showcased his prowess as a 'Hanwha killer.'
Im Chan-kyu took the mound as the starting pitcher against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on the 14th, delivering an impressive performance with two hits, two walks, one hit by pitch and three strikeouts over six innings, all without allowing a run.
He was replaced while leading 1-0, and the win was forfeited as the score tied. Thus, this season, he has had two wins and no losses in three games against Hanwha, pitching 22 innings and allowing just one run, with an earned run average of 0.41.
Im Chan-kyu threw 29 fastballs, 26 changeups, 24 curveballs, and 10 sliders. His fastest fastball reached 141 km/h. He struggled early in the game with the command of his signature curveball. However, with his seasoned game management, he continued to display his 'Hanwha killer' identity.
In the bottom of the first inning, Im Chan-kyu issued a walk to lead-off batter Lee Won-seok. When Ha Ju-suk hit a ground ball to the first baseman, the first baseman touched first base and threw to second base to tag out the runner at first. It was a successful reverse double play. After two outs, he allowed a single to Moon Hyun-bin and then a double to Roh Si-hwan down the left field line, putting runners on second and third. He escaped the threat by striking out Chae Eun-seong with a 140 km/h outside fastball for a swinging strikeout.
The second inning was also a crisis. He allowed lead-off batter Lee Jin-young to reach base due to a throwing error on a one-bounce throw by the third baseman. The runner advanced to second on a ground ball out by Ahn Chi-hong. When Choi Jae-hun hit a flyout to right field, the runner tagged up and advanced to third. With two outs and a runner on third, he issued a straight walk to Hwang Young-mook. His command started to wobble again. He then struck out Lee Won-seok for a swinging strikeout with two outs and runners on first and third, escaping another scoring threat.
Having overcome the early crisis, Im Chan-kyu finished the third and fourth innings in order with consecutive three-up, three-down innings. In the fifth inning with two outs, he hit Lee Won-seok with a pitch to allow him to reach base. The slow curve at 104 km/h hit him. Hanwha substituted in a pinch hitter, Choi In-ho. On the second pitch after one strike, base runner Lee Won-seok attempted to steal second base. Catcher Park Dong-won's throw went wide of the outfield, allowing Lee Won-seok to advance safely to third.
With two outs and a runner on third base, the third curve pitch bounced once and slipped slightly behind the catcher. The runner on third dashed for home, but the catcher quickly ran to catch the ball. The ball did not bounce far. The runner on third was caught in a rundown and was tagged out by the catcher, third baseman, and catcher.
Im Chan-kyu sealed the sixth inning with three quick outs, getting Lee Do-yoon to hit a ground ball to first base, Moon Hyun-bin to hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, and Roh Si-hwan with a weak ground ball off the pitcher.
Im Chan-kyu is particularly strong against Hanwha. Since the 2022 season to this year, he has a record of seven wins and two losses in 12 games against Hanwha, with an earned run average of 2.04, instilling confidence. Since 2022, he has recorded four wins and no losses in seven games in Daejeon, with an earned run average of 2.29. Im Chan-kyu did not achieve a win on this day, but he has been on a four-game winning streak against Hanwha dating back to May 23, 2024.
Manager Youm Kyoung-youb noted before the game that if it were the Korean Series, he would use Im Chan-kyu in the second game. He mentioned that the Hanwha batters were 'not timing well.' He remarked, 'You can't ignore it. We were weak against KT Benjamin; no matter how much we analyze, it didn't work out. If we say something is weak, we end up analyzing it more and, in a way, get caught up in that.'
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