![8 billion free agents in the secondary... The reward player is pulp](https://guidetoiceland.imgix.net/-1/x/0/.jpg?w=360&h=430&fit=crop&crop=center&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=32&dpr=2&ixlib=react-9.8.1)
8 billion free agents in the secondary... The reward player is pulp
When you think of Lotte Giants catcher Yoo Kang-nam, there's a natural connection. That player is left-hander Kim Yoo-young, who was acquired by the LG Twins as a compensation player.
Last year, Kim looked like he would be a versatile addition to the LG mound, including being prepared as a starting pitcher, but he didn't play a single game for the first team. He underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow and is now ready for the 2024 season.
And this season, Yoo and Kim's early performances are completely different.
After hitting .352 (10-for-92) with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 121 games last year, Yoo struggled in 17 games this year, going 1-for-2 (5-for-41) with two RBIs, and was demoted to the second team on Friday. He has one hit in six at-bats in two games in the Futures League.
Kim Yoo-young, on the other hand, is gradually cementing his place in the first team. Initially, Bo-jik was a chaser. His job was to come in with a lead or tied game and hold on.
However, LG's bullpen hasn't quite lived up to its initial promise, with injuries and poor performances from the top of the rotation leading to Kim being called upon to pitch in crucial situations for the team.
In the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the SSG Landers in Incheon on April 21, Kim pitched two scoreless innings with no hits, four walks, and one strikeout in a perfect game, allowing LG to score a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.
Kim picked up his first save against the Daegu Samsung Lions on April 25. Entering the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 5-2 lead, Kim retired Samsung's No. 1 through No. 3 hitters Kim Ji-chan, Lee Jae-hyun and Gu Ja-rook in order. With three more runs in the top of the ninth to make it 8-2 and no need for a closer, Kim was brought in to pitch the bottom of the ninth, allowing one hit and a walk but no runs. It was Kim's first save in eight years and her first since joining LG after earning her debut in 2016.
He also recorded a meaningful hold against Jamsil KIA on the 27th. It was his first hold since joining LG. LG had to activate its bullpen in the fifth inning after starter Detrick Enns fanned 105 batters in four innings. Lee Woo-chan pitched a two-hit 스포츠토토 shutout in the top of the fifth and Kim Dae-hyun pitched a hitless sixth to keep the momentum going. The top of the seventh inning was crucial. Starting with center fielder Kim Do-young.
In the top of the seventh inning, Kim led off with a 5-3 infield fly, but third baseman Moon Bo-kyung made a catch and miss, leaving the bases loaded. However, after striking out Choi Hyung-woo, Kim made an accurate throw to third base to end the inning, and then struck out Lee Woo-sung, who was stealing third base in the fifth inning. In the top of the eighth, he struck out Socrates, got Kim Sun-bin to ground out to shortstop, and struck out Han Jun-soo to end the inning. After two innings of scoreless relief with no hits, four walks and two strikeouts, he handed the mound over to Yoo Young-chan in the top of the ninth.
In 10 appearances this season, he is 1-1 with one save and one hold. In 13 innings pitched, he has allowed six runs (three earned) for a 2.08 ERA. With a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 140s, a slider, and a changeup, he's a solid left-handed bullpen option alongside Lee. He is a left-handed bullpen that can pitch two innings, making him versatile.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yup praised the middle relievers after the game, saying, “The new winning combination of Lee Woo-chan, Kim Dae-hyun, and Kim Yoo-young pitched well and took responsibility for their own innings, which became the basis for the victory.”
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