The LG Twins, the ‘Seoul Twins,’ have won the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years.
LG won the fifth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Korean Series (best-of-seven) against KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on Wednesday, 6-2, with Park Hae-min and Kim Hyun-soo leading the offense amid a strong pitching performance by starter Casey Kelly.
LG, which lost Game 1 but won Games 2 through 5, won the long-awaited championship with a 4-1 overall record.
In 1990, LG acquired MBC Cheongnyong, a Seoul club that was founded in 1982, the first year of the Korean Baseball Organization.
This is the third time in its history that LG has won the Korean Series, after winning the 1990 and 1994 titles while still with MBC, as it has become one of the most popular teams in baseball with its “New Wind Baseball” brand.
LG, which finished first in the regular season this year and went straight to the Korean Series, also won the overall title.
LG’s signature shortstop, Oh Ji-hwan, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Korean Series for the first time in his career in a landslide victory, receiving 80 of the 93 votes cast by reporters.
After going 0-for-4 in Game 5, Oh was one of the best offensive performers in the series, batting .316 with three home runs and eight RBIs in 19 at-bats, including a game-winning three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning in Game 3.
Oh was also the recipient of a Rolex watch, which former LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, who passed away in 2018, gave away as a prize for the 1998 Korean Series MVP.
Game 5, which featured a starter’s duel between Ko Young-pyo and Casey Kelly, was decided by the bats.
In the top of the first inning, KT had runners on second and third with an error and a wild pitch following Kim Sang-woo’s single to right, but failed to capitalize.
In the bottom of the second inning, Austin Dean and Moon Bo-kyung singled to right to put runners on first and third, but Park Dong-won hit a double to end the threat.
However, LG answered in the bottom of the inning as Moon Sung-joo singled up the middle and Shin Jae-min drew a walk before Hong Chang-ki laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second and third.
Then, Park Hae-min came to the plate and hit a hard double down the right field line for a 2-0 lead.
Park then stole third off Kim Hyun-soo and came home on the ensuing grounder to extend the lead to 3-0.
KT seemed to have a chance to catch up after the offensive shift.
In the top of the fourth inning, with runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Kim Min-hyuk hit a hard line drive to left-center field.
However, LG center fielder Park Hae-min jumped like a bullet and made a diving catch to save his team from a run.
In the top of the fifth inning, KT scored a run after back-to-back singles by Choi Jae-dae and Kim Sang-soo put runners on first and third base before LG starter Kelly committed a wild pitch.
However, LG pressured the KT mound again in the bottom of the fifth.
Hong Chang-ki was hit by a pitch, Park Hae-min followed with a single to right, and with runners on second and third, Kim Hyun-soo lined a two-run double to right off reliever Lee Sang-dong to make it 5-1.
In the sixth, Moon Bok-kyung, who doubled to right, scored Moon Sung-joo with a single to right.
KT got one back in the top of the seventh when Choi Sung-ho singled to left and came home on a subsequent grounder and wild pitch, but could not get any closer.
LG secured the win as starter Kelly pitched five innings, allowing five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
From the sixth inning on, Yoo Young-chan (1⅔ innings), Ham Deok-joo (1⅓ innings), and Go Woo-seok (1 inning) took over and combined to seal the win.
On offense, Park Hae-min went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two stolen bases and was named the MVP of Game 5.
Veteran slugger Kim Hyun-soo backed him up with a 1-for-4 performance and three RBIs.
On the other hand, KT’s trusted starter Ko Young-pyo suffered the yoke of defeat as he gave up five runs on seven hits in four innings. 토토사이트
