‘Choi Won-Tae Derby’ protagonist Choi Won-Tae throws 100 pitches, gives up 2 runs in 5 innings…wins and is subbed out
Choi Won-tae (26-LG Twins), the protagonist of the ‘Choi Won-tae’ derby, walked off the mound after fulfilling the requirements of a winning pitcher against his hometown team, the Kiwoom Heroes.
Choi took the mound against Kiwoom in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium on Dec. 12, the first time he faced his hometown team since being traded.스포츠토토
LG and Kiwoom conducted a trade on the 29th of last month. LG sent infielder Lee Ju-hyung, pitcher Kim Dong-gyu, and a first-round pick in the 2024 KBO League Rookie Draft in exchange for Choi Won-tae.
Choi has started two games in an LG uniform. They were against the Doosan Bears (on March 30) and the Samsung Lions (on March 5). On this day, he faced his hometown team for the first time and faced Kiwoom for the first time in his career.
Choi Won-tae was greeted by his old teammates: Kim Jun-wan (left fielder), Kim Hye-sung (second baseman), Ronnie Dawson (designated hitter), Song Sung-moon (first baseman), Kim Hui-jip (shortstop), Lee Joo-hyung (center fielder), Lim Byung-wook (right fielder), Kim Tae-jin (third baseman), and Kim Dong-heon (catcher).
In the first inning, Choi Won-tae seemed to be nervous. In the top of the first inning, he walked Kim Hye-sung on a throwing error by the shortstop. Dawson followed with a double down the left field line.
She had some help from her teammates. Kim Hye-sung, who overran Dawson’s double, was caught at third base for the final out. It seemed like a respite, but the crisis continued, as Song Sung-moon singled to center field to give the Koreans a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, the team seemed to settle down. He threw a slider and a changeup against Kiwoom’s left-handed hitters. He threw a slider to Lee Ju-hyung and a changeup to Lim Byung-wook to induce swinging strikes. Kim Tae-jin followed with a foul fly to left field for the first out of the inning.
Choi Won-tae was faced with another run in the top of the third, but he worked his way out of it. He gave up a leadoff single to Kim Dong-heon and then laid down a sacrifice bunt to Kim Jun-wan to put runners on first and second, but he retired the next two batters, Kim Hye-sung (grounder to second) and Dawson (swinging strikeout) to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, with the score tied 1-1, Choi gave up another run. After giving up a single to Lee Ju-hyung two batters later, he walked Lim Byung-wook to put runners on first and second. He then gave up an RBI single to Kim Tae-jin to make it 1-2.
With a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth, Choi Won-tae entered the game for the final inning. He led off with a pitcher’s interference infield hit to Kim Hye-sung. Dawson struck out, but a stolen base and Song Sung-moon’s grounder to the second baseman put runners on second and third. Won-tae Choi threw his 100th pitch of the day and got Kim Hwi-jip to fly out to shortstop to end the inning and earn the win.
Choi ended up giving up two runs on six hits in five innings with two walks and five strikeouts before handing the baton over to reliever Ham Deok-ju in the top of the sixth.
Meanwhile, LG took a 5-2 lead against Kiwoom. If the game ends without LG relinquishing the lead, Choi Won-tae will be the winning pitcher.