LG Twins’ fourth-year right-handed reliever Yoo Young-chan, 26, says he has no nerves in his first Korean Series appearance and is confident of winning.
LG will face the KT Wiz in the best-of-seven best-of-five series of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO on Nov. 11 at Katie Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea.
After dropping Game 1, LG battled back from a 0-4 deficit in Game 2 to win 5-4. In Game 3, they were down 5-7 going into the eighth inning, but a dramatic three-run homer by Oh Ji-hwan in the ninth gave them another 8-7 victory.
Yoo played a crucial role in LG’s two wins. Coming on as the sixth pitcher with runners on second and third in the fifth inning of Game 2, he retired the next seven batters in order.
In Game 3, with a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning, he shut down the KT bats for two innings to secure the first hold of the Korean Series.
Speaking to reporters before Game 4, Yoo said, “I was a little nervous before the start of Game 2, but once I got up there, I relaxed. As I continued to pitch in the third game, my nerves disappeared and I gained more confidence.”
“It’s the Korean Series, so it’s definitely more weighty than the regular season, but our bullpen is so good that even if we go down with runners on base, we have faith that we’ll be able to close it out,” Yoo said, emphasizing that the team atmosphere is great.
“In the Korean Series, I didn’t think I could pitch multiple innings in a row, but I’m facing it with confidence. I feel good about my pitches,” he said, adding, “I got a lot of calls from people around me. They told me that I was pitching well,” he laughed.
The LG Baseball Organization will award the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Korean Series with a Rolex luxury watch bequeathed by its late chairman, Koo Bon-moo.
As Yoo Young-chan continues to perform, he too could be the recipient of a Rolex.
However, Yoo said, “I’m not thinking about 카지노사이트 the Rolex watch at all. I’m just thinking about the team winning,” he said, adding, “I’m getting a little tired, but I’m still going to go up to the mound and throw my best.”