Its Twin Killer’ Benjamin vs. Career High Lim Chan-gyu

The 2023 KBO League Korean Series (KS, 4 wins in 7 games) ended with dramatic wins in two consecutive games

including Moon Sang-cheol’s (KT) final double in the 9th inning in Game 1 and Park Dong-won’s (LG) comeback two-run shot in the 8th inning in Game 2. 

With LG and KT locked in a tight battle with 1 win and 1 loss

it seems likely that the team that wins the third game to be held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 10th will take the lead in the series. 카지노사이트랭크

Before this important day, LG announced Lim Chan-gyu and KT announced Wes Benjamin as their starting pitchers. 

Looking at the regular league performance, KT has the upper hand in the starting matchup. 

Benjamin, who entered the KBO League as a substitute foreign player last season and renewed his contract with 5 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 2.70, and renewed his contract with KT, played full time this season

appearing in 29 regular league games and recording 15 wins, 6 losses, and 3.54. He reliably protected the starting lineup.

Benjamin pitched in two games in these playoffs, recording only one loss and no wins

but pitched 10 innings and recorded an ERA of 3.60. In particular, in the 5th game of the playoffs

where KT confirmed its advancement to the Korean Series with a ‘reverse sweep’, he pitched well, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 innings, and is in excellent condition.

Moreover, Benjamin is the representative ‘LG Killer’. Benjamin appeared in 5 games against LG this season

earning 4 wins and an ERA of 0.84. Most of LG’s main hitters, including Kim Hyun-soo (0.182), Oh Ji-hwan (0.167)

Park Hae-min (0.167), Hong Chang-ki (0.167), Austin Dean (0.091), Moon Bo-kyung (0.100), and Moon Seong-ju (0.000), were swept away like fallen leaves whenever they met Benjamin.

. Among the LG batters who started in the 1st and 2nd games of KS, Park Dong-won (0.273) is the only one who recorded a batting average of .200 or higher against Benjamin.

Benjamin himself analyzes that the reason why LG is strong is because “LG has a lot of left-handed hitters.”

 Among LG’s starting lineup, there are only two right-handed hitters: Austin and Park Dong-won. 

Benjamin recorded a hitting percentage of 0.238 against right-handed batters and 0.242 against left-handed batters this year. 

Looking at this season as a whole, he did not show a particularly strong performance against left-handed hitters, but the analysis is that his outstanding performance was possible because LG left-handed hitter line was tightly packed.

Lim Chan-gyu, who is competing against Benjamin, is a player who grew up as an LG fan since childhood, to the point where he calls himself a ‘successful LG fanatic (otaku)’. Lim Chan-gyu, who started this season in the bullpen, started as a starting pitcher in late April. Lim Chan-gyu, who has 14 wins, 3 losses, 1 hold, and an ERA of 3.42 in his 30 appearances this season, is having his best year since his professional debut in 2011.

LG also needs Lim Chan-gyu to extend the innings as much as possible. Game 2 starter Choi Won-tae was forced off early in 0.1 inning, and the bullpen had to block 8.2 innings. Even if LG goes directly to KS and has physical strength, it is not an ideal situation. Lim Chan-gyu must last at least 5 innings in Game 3 to gain some breathing room in managing pitchers for the remainder of the series.

However, Lim Chan-gyu appeared weak in 4 games against KT, recording 1 win, 1 loss, 1 hold, and an ERA of 6.61. His hitting percentage against KT reached 0.352. However, it is comforting to know that he did not hit a single home run despite being hit hard.

Lim Chan-gyu qualified as a free agent (FA) for the first time in his career after finishing last season, but chose to defer for one year due to his poor performance of 6 wins, 11 losses and an ERA of 5.04. Lim Chan-gyu, who has established himself as LG’s first starter this season, can expect his value to skyrocket if he plays well in the third game and leads the team to victory. This is a game where a lot is at stake for Lim Chan-gyu.