10 games, 10.00 ERA.
In the offices and other important areas of most clubs, there are a lot of framed photos that tell the story of the organization. Of course, we’re not in the age of framed photos, but it’s worth it for iconic and important moments. Winning the Korean Series or winning the pennant race is a great example.
In that regard, if LG wins the Korean Series this year, the player who will be in the spotlight is already known. It’s Go Woo-seok. Or rather, the “rinse-and-repair” pitcher. Just as Oh Seung-hwan dominated the final moments of Samsung’s dynasty, this year’s LG team will be counting on Go Woo-seok to seal the Korean Series title with a spectacular save.
However, Go hasn’t been himself lately. He took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead against KT in Suwon on June 6, but gave up four runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in ⅔ innings. On this day alone, it was not uncommon to see fastballs and changeups going up the middle.
There was also some bad luck. When he walked Park to load the bases with one out, his 151-mph fastball on a full count was actually on the borderline. A strikeout call was warranted. It was a decision that changed the course of the game.
The defense of third baseman Moon Bo-kyung, who threw a cutter to Hwang Jae-gyun in the second inning, was also a bit disappointing, as the big grounder was hit out of bounds for a two-run double. KBS N Sports commentator Park Yong-taek, who broadcast the game, pointed out that Moon did not make a good catch because she checked second baseman Kim Sang-soo out of the corner of her eye before catching the ball. This means that he was thinking about the next play before the pitch. It was the second inning, so catching the runner was the most important thing.
However, it is the fate of closers to overcome such bad luck with strength and stability. Apart from these scenes, it is true that Go Woo-seok has been in a bad mood lately. He pitched 1 ⅔ innings of one-hit, one-strikeout ball against Suwon KT on May 5, but took the loss against Jamsil Hanwha on May 2, giving up two runs on two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts in ⅔ innings, including a wild pitch. In his last 10 games, he is 3-3 with a 10.00 ERA. In 40 games this season, he is 3-7 with 13 saves and a 4.19 ERA.
Closers can’t be perfect every day. It’s the end of the season, and it’s a tough time for both the body and the mind. It’s not uncommon for a closer of Ko’s caliber to pitch a perfect game today and get the save.
However, we should be wary of this kind of loss because it is very damaging. Regardless of the result, we need to check the balance and the quality of each pitch. Recently, manager Yoon Kyung-yeop pointed out that Go Woo-seok should use more fastballs. Recently, his changeup has been less breaking.안전놀이터
According to baseball stats site Statiz, Go has a 0.217 BABIP with his fastball, 0.295 with his slider (cutter), and 0.125 with his curveball this season. Last year, he had a 0.226 fastball, 0.145 slider, and 0.114 curve. Notice the jump in the cutter’s strikeout rate.