He is confident in his position. So, regarding last week’s classic, I saw it as a matter of condition, not a matter of position. LG closing pitcher Ko Woo-seok (25), who throws the strongest four-seam fastball and slider among mid-level pitchers in the KBO League, emphasized his confidence in his pitch.안전놀이터
Go Woo-seok saved his first 5 outs this season in the match against Suwon KT on the 5th. Lead by 1 point, 5-4. Go Woo-seok, who came to the mound in the bottom of the 8th inning with 1 out and runners on first and second base, treated the first batter, Ho-yeon Lee, with a double play with a ground ball to shortstop, quickly ending the 8th inning. The bottom of the 8th inning ended with shortstop Oh Ji-hwan’s clever defense.
However, in the bottom of the 9th inning, we faced crisis again. Hong Chang-gi helped Go Woo-seok and the team by catching a batted ball that could have been a hit to lead hitter Bae Jeong-dae. He then received a heavy hit from pinch hitter Moon Sang-cheol, but caught Cho Yong-ho with a hit in front of the shortstop.
And after a battle that went down to 7 pitches with Hwang Jae-gyun, he struck out and struck out Hwang Jae-gyun. With the ball count of 2-2, he used a curve as the deciding ball, but Hwang Jae-gyun held back his swing, but Hwang Jae-gyun was unable to overcome the power of the last four-seam fastball he threw.
LG closer Go Woo-seok is cheering after striking out Hwang Jae-gyun, the last batter, in the bottom of the 9th inning of the 2023 professional baseball game between KT Wiz and LG Twins held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 5th. 2023.09. 05.Suwon | Reporter Kang Young-jo kanjo@sportsseoul.com
Go Woo-seok made his 13th save. LG’s season record was 68 wins, 43 losses, and 2 draws. They beat second place KT by 6.5 games and also had the upper hand against KT with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses.
The following is a Q&A between Go Woo-seok and the reporters after the game.
-Recorded 5 out-of-count saves. It’s the first time this season.
Before starting the interview, I would like to express my gratitude to the officials at Suwon Stadium. Thanks to the hard work of the officials, the game resumed. I was worried about the condition of the ground, but we were able to play on a good ground.
It was thanks to our defense that we were able to save 5 outs. The defense really helped us. We were able to overcome a difficult game and difficult situation thanks to our defense.
-There was a bad result in the match against Hanwha last Saturday. He said he had a conversation with manager Yeom Kyung-yeop about ball combinations, and manager Yeom advised him to focus on throwing four-seamers rather than breaking balls. Was that reflected in today’s game?
no.
Of course, I understood what the director meant. But I am also stubborn. The coach said that his slider was weak, so he thought about throwing only a slider from the first pitch to the last pitch. He thought he should show it to the director. Then, when it was time to go to the game, I couldn’t think of anything. After he got on the mound, he just thought about throwing at a fast tempo.
-Saturday went in because the slider rotation was loose. And the four-seamer fell out of my hand. Why was it particularly bad that day?
I was really out of balance that day. I’ve never really done that before, but that day I threw with my balance off. After hitting a ball that hit senior Choi Jae-hoon, he started throwing the ball with a pitching motion that he had never used before and made a really big mistake. It was a game where I was very angry with myself.
-I feel proud of my slider. It seems like we can’t give up on the slider anymore because it’s a good pitch for inducing base hits.
There is something like that. Also, throwing a slider has the lowest risk of a true hit. I think the coach feels that my slider is weak because he hasn’t seen me much because I’ve been out due to injury for a long time.
LG closer Go Woo-seok and other players are celebrating with manager Yeom Kyeong-yeop after striking out the last batter, Jae-gyun Hwang, in the bottom of the 9th inning of the 2023 professional baseball game between KT Wiz and LG Twins held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 5th by striking out the last batter, Jae-gyun Hwang, after a close game with a full count. 2023.09. 05.Suwon | Reporter Kang Young-jo kanjo@sportsseoul.com
-How did the final match with Hwang Jae-gyun unfold? It seemed like he thought the curve was the deciding ball, but the swing didn’t come out. Afterwards, he threw a four-seamer and caught a swing, but it seemed like he was a bit cornered.
He was confident that if he just reacted to the curve, he could catch it. Fortunately, senior Hwang Jae-gyun didn’t completely react to the curve. He did react, but he didn’t swing. When I saw that, I thought I could win if I threw a four-seamer.
-Wasn’t it disappointing that he didn’t miss the curve?
He believed that even if the game was not won with a curve, if he could induce a reaction, he could win the game again with the next ball. He thought he had a chance of winning as long as the four-seam didn’t go completely high or fall ridiculously high, and he was going to go with the four-seam no matter what.
-What is your current physical condition?
I think he could be called the best. Last Saturday’s game was unbalanced, but the conditions themselves were not bad. I had a bad game, but I was determined again. I just want to play each game with the mindset that it is the Korean Series again.
-What do you think about the ball combination?
Bad results may occur due to ball mixing issues. But I see that as a later issue. The most important thing is to prepare well so as not to lose your balance. I don’t think it makes sense to talk about ball combination when I can’t throw my own ball from the mound.
-It seems like the proportion of high fastballs is steadily increasing.
Yes. I threw consistently today. I kept trying to throw it high and it went in well without falling out.
-The team’s performance is going well, but it is also a difficult season for me. How do you hold your mind?
I don’t know. It was very difficult because I didn’t feel well even after going to the 2021 Olympics, and it was difficult last year when I thought I would finish last but it didn’t happen. Perhaps because of that experience, this year I have a strong feeling that I should never let it go until the end and finish it on my own.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve gained more experience and am a little older, but I’m going through the season with the mindset that I may be a little shaken, but I won’t break down. Even if I can’t do it, I just try not to get stressed. Still, I want to do well until the end with a grateful heart because they keep sending me to the games.