Steel mentality of a 27-year-old left-hander ace...5 errors → Struggling intimidation → LG's one-stranded comfort that shook the pitcher's hard hit + double play bad luck

Mar 16, 2025

In an exhibition game between LG and SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 16th, LG starter Son Joo-young is receiving a Jihoon Choi's apology after blocking SSG Jihoon Choi's hitting ball with his gloved right hand in the bottom of the first inning. Incheon= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.03.16/

LG starter Son Joo-young is pitching hard in an exhibition game between LG and SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 16th. Incheon= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.03.16/

Our team's players are out as checks, but the intimidation was not smooth even if they caught the checks themselves. In the defense, mistakes were made, and unexpected bad luck followed.

Although he didn't become a winning pitcher. However, the 27-year-old young left-hander ace's presence in the game, which was full of regret, was enough to please the head coach.

Son Joo-young pitched hard against Incheon SSG in the exhibition game on the 16th with four hits, one walk, and one run in four innings. The number of pitches was 79 and the maximum speed of fastballs was 149km.

Son Joo-young, a Kyungnam High School graduate, was one of the top left-handed prospects from the second round in 2017. However, he did not show a remarkable performance in the first team until 2023.

Last year, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop selected Son Joo-young as the fifth starter, vowing that he is the strongest among the five starters. As such, Son Joo-young took the mound in 28 games (27 starts) and played 144 ⅔ innings with a good performance of 9 wins, 10 losses, and a 3.79 ERA with one hold. Not only is he ranked second in ERA among domestic pitchers after Won Tae-in of the Samsung Lions, but he also exceeded the regular innings in his first year of playing properly in the first team.

Now Son Joo-young is a completely different pitcher. He pitched four scoreless innings against KT Wiz on the 9th, and the team lost 1-8 on the same day, but his weight, which was not shaken by repeated mistakes and bad luck, was far outstanding.

On this day, LG seemed like a completely different team than usual. Five errors were recorded, including Son Joo-young, Moon Jung-bin (2), Koo Bon-hyuk and Oh Ji-hwan. Players who are good at defense, like Koo Bon-hyuk and Oh Ji-hwan, made unexpected mistakes.

The exhibition game between LG and SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 16th, and SSG Jihoon Choi Son Joo-young, who blocked his ball with his right hand with his glove, are asking if he is okay. Incheon= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.03.16/

It was hard from the start. In the bottom of the first inning, he was hit with his right hand by Jihoon Choi's pitching training ball, but fortunately, he was a left-handed pitcher, so his glove protected him.

He succeeded in taking the timing of the Jihoon Choi completely, but made a bad pitch to first base. First baseman Moon Jung-bin's throw also made an error, and Son instantly reached third base with no outs. However, Son struck out Park Sung-han and Herredia Ha Jae-hoon three times in a row, proving that he is now a player suitable for the name 'Ace'.

In the second inning, Ko Myung-joon's double and Kim Sung-hyun's walk also put him on the verge of first and second bases with one out. However, he neatly cut off his follow-up hit.

He lost his first run in the third inning. With one out and second base, Herredia's missed ball became a timely hit during an RBI.

Son Joo-young showed another sharp check, but another defensive mistake came out. While third baseman Koo Bon-hyuk was driving, the throw to second base hit Herredia's helmet and became an error.

The KBO League KT Wiz and LG Twins exhibition game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. LG Son Joo-young is catching her breath. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.03.09/

Son Joo-young's strikeout instinct flashed again. Son Joo-young struck out Ha Jae-hoon and Oh Tae-gon one after another. Then, in the fourth inning, he retired with three outs, and in the fifth inning, he was hit by an infield janta by Cho Hyung-woo, the first batter, and turned over the mound.

LG, which continued its game with a 1-1 tie, failed to score on SSG left fielder Choi Joon-woo's strong throw when he flew to left field in the top of the seventh inning with no outs, and Ahn Ik-hoon's well-hit ball hit SSG pitcher Kim Min's body and floated toward third base, leading to a double play.

Woo Kang-hoon in the bottom of the seventh inning and Sung Dong-hyun in the bottom of the eighth inning had to swallow their disappointment. If you look at the contents of the game, it would not have been cool if you had won.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.