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.
After finishing first in the regular season this year, LG went straight to the Korean Series and won the overall title.
Game 5, which featured a starting battle between Ko Young-pyo and Casey Kelly, was decided by the bats.
KT had runners on first and third in the top of the first inning after Kim Sang-woo led off with a single to right, but failed to capitalize on an error and a wild pitch.
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-ju with an RBI single to right.
KT got a run back in the top of the seventh when Choi Sung-ho singled to left and came home on a subsequent grounder and wild pitch.
LG secured the win as starter Kelly pitched five innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
From the sixth inning on, Yoo Young-chan (1⅔ innings), Ham Deok-joo (1⅓ innings), and Ko Woo-seok (1 inning) took over to seal the win.
On offense, Park Hae-min went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and two doubles, while 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. 파워볼사이트