It’s not just the bats that have been at the center of the May surge. The starting rotation and bullpen have stabilized and the two-hitting cogs have come together, resulting in a May record of 15 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie through 29 games, a +10 run differential. A whopping 11 of the 15 wins have come from the one-two-three punch, and 13 of the wins have come from the one-two-three punch. Casey Kelly, Adam Plutko, and Chan-gyu Lim started LG’s wins in May.
In April, it was a bit unsettling. Ace Kelly had a number of games where his command faltered and he struggled. In three of his six April starts, he allowed four or more earned runs, and his April ERA was 5.66. This was not the most consistent performance from a foreign starter in the last four years.
But May has been an Easter. Before last week, Kelly had won all four of his May starts and posted a 2.33 ERA. His velocity is up, and his command has regained some sophistication. Most notably, he averaged 148 mph on his fastball and 141.4 mph on his slider (see stats) against Literary SSG on May 25.
Plutko is a guaranteed winner. With a 7-0 record and a 2.10 ERA in 10 starts this season, he remains one of the best starters in the league. He’s using more cut fastballs and sliders than last year to get outs and work through innings more efficiently. His average fastball velocity is down, which is a result of his power distribution. He changes his velocity depending on the situation. 안전놀이터
There”s also a big surprise. Until early April, Lim Chan-kyu, a long reliever and substitute starter, proved his mettle and was promoted very quickly. He was included in the rotation on April 16 against Doosan in Jamsil, and from April 22 against Hanwha in Daejeon to April 28 against KIA in Gwangju, he pitched at least five innings and allowed two earned runs or less in six consecutive games. He is 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in four starts in May and will be in the running for the May MVP award.
His changeup has evolved into one of the best pitches in the league, and his fastball has improved since his last start against SSG on April 23. With an unexpected increase in velocity like the second half of the 2021 season, Lim is a natural first starter.