The LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) came from behind once again to win their fifth straight game. The team maintained its four-game lead over the first-place Kia Tigers and kept its hopes of an upset title alive.
LG, led by manager Yoon Kyung-yeop, pulled off a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Wednesday.
Hanwha starter Ryu Hyun-jin pitched five innings of two-hit ball with two walks and six strikeouts to earn the win. Park Sang-won and Kim Seo-hyun also pitched one-hit shutout innings in the sixth and seventh innings to extend Hanwha’s lead, but LG came from behind in the top of the eighth.
In the top of the eighth, leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki drew a walk against Hanwha reliever Kim Kyu-yeon to start the comeback. After a sacrifice bunt by Shin Min-jae put runners on first and second, Hanwha switched to right-hander Lee Sang-kyu, but Austin Dean lined a single to right-center to score the first run.
Choi Seung-min, who pinch-hit for Austin, then tried to steal second base against Moon Bo-kyung. With one out, Hanwha shortstop Hwang Young-mook, who was covering the bases, couldn’t make the throw. The ball sailed sideways, allowing Choi to advance to third base. After Choi stole second and Hwang Young-mook reached on an error, Moon Bo-kyung hit a two-run single over the center fielder’s head to tie the game at 2-2. Ryu Hyun-jin’s game-winning hit.
With the momentum in their favor, LG scored the winning run in the top of the ninth. Park Hae-minga doubled off Hanwha closer Joo Hyun-sang. Hanwha center fielder Jang Jin-hyuk tried to make a sliding catch on the ball in front of him, but couldn’t get it. Ahn Ik-hoon’s bunt was fouled off the first pitch and nearly broke the game open, but Hong Chang-ki lined a single to left for the final out.
Hong went 1-for-3 with a home run, one RBI, two walks and three runs batted in. After starting pitcher Detrick Enns tossed five innings of two-run ball, Ham Deok-ju in the sixth, Lee Ji-gang in the 카지노 커뮤니티 seventh, Kim Jin-sung in the eighth and Yoo Young-chan in the ninth completed the comeback. Jin-seong Kim picked up his second win of the season (2-2), while Young-chan Yoo earned his 21st save.
Riding a five-game winning streak, second-place LG maintained its four-game lead over first-place KIA (64 W, 45 L, 2 D, .587) with 59 wins, 48 losses and two draws (.551 winning percentage).
After the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, “Enns struggled a little bit in the beginning of the game as he didn’t have the speed, but he showed good crisis management and did his job as a starter. “On Tuesday, the batting didn’t work and the flow of the game was not good, but today, even though we were losing, the players stayed focused until the end,” said Yoon. Moon’s tying hit turned the whole game in our favor, and Park Hae-min had a great chance when we needed a run. Hong Chang-ki saved the day and we were able to secure an important victory,” said Hong.
“I would like to praise the players for their concentration in the hot weather, and I would like to thank the fans for coming to the stadium on a weekday and cheering loudly,” said Yeom Kyung-yup.
LG will try to extend its winning streak to six games with right-hander Eliezer Hernandez on Thursday against Hanwha. Hanwha will start right-hander Moon Dong-ju.