"You're strong even without 7 members of the national team."' LG 16 hits! Lee Jae-won and Chun Sung-ho's home run... 11-6 win over NC [KBO Exhibition Game Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The defending champion LG Twins won their first exhibition game with an explosive hit even with seven players on the national team.

LG won 11-6 against the NC Dinos in the opening game of the 2026 KBO exhibition game at Masan Baseball Stadium in Yakdeok-dong, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam on the 12th.

Last year's championship team LG sent Park Dong-won (36), Park Hae-min (36), Shin Min-jae (30), Yoo Young-chan (29), Son Joo-young (28), Moon Bo-kyung (26), and Song Seung-ki (24) to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korean national baseball team.

Despite the absence of the main players, he made 16 hits in long and short with explosive hits to win the game. Table setter's performance, which LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop openly vowed to give many opportunities, was outstanding. Lee Jae-won, who played as No. 1 and left fielder, hit 2 for 3 (one home run), RBI, 2 walks, 2 for 3 (one home run), and Chun Sung-ho, who played as second and third baseman, hit hard with 2 for 6 (one home run) and 2 RBIs and 2 runs.

The central lineup also shone. No. 3 Hong Chang-ki succeeded in getting on base in all three at-bats with three hits and one RBI, and No. 4 Austin Dean was a troubleshooter with one hit (one home run) and three RBIs in three at-bats. It was also encouraging that the main fielder Koo Bon-hyuk had two hits in three at-bats and the next-generation main catcher Lee Joo-heon had one hit and two RBIs in four at-bats.

The mound was generally plain. Starter Yoni Chirinos allowed four hits, one walk, three strikeouts, and two runs in four at-bats. Ham Deok-ju and Jang Hyun-sik were each responsible for one scoreless inning. Bae Jae-joon was disappointed with one hit (one homer) and two walks (three earned runs) in one inning.

NC, which suffered from a mound problem last year, caused anxiety from the first game of the exhibition game. Starting pitcher Curtis Taylor allowed three hits (one homer) and three outs (one walk) with three strikeouts and two runs in three innings. It was also painful that two players, Son Joo-hwan (4 runs in ⅓ innings) and Lim Jung-ho (0 innings 3 runs), allowed a large number of runs. It was the income that rookie Shin Jae-in had one hit, one walk, two strikeouts and one run in three at-bats, and Han Jae-hwan had one hit (one home run) and four RBIs in one at-bats.

On this day, LG formed a lineup of Lee Jae-won (left fielder), Chun Sung-ho (third baseman), Hong Chang-ki (middle fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Sung-joo (designated hitter), Koo Bon-hyuk (striker), Song Chan-ui (right fielder), Lee Young-bin (second baseman), and Lee Joo-heon (catcher). The starting pitcher is Yoni Chirinos.

Against this, LG's lineup consisted of Shin Jae-in (third baseman), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Kim Hwi-jip (striker), Oh Jang-han (middle fielder), Lee Woo-sung (designated hitter), Seo Ho-cheol (first baseman), Kim Jung-ho (catcher), and Park Si-won (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Curtis Taylor.

From the beginning, it was a slugfest. At the top of the first inning, Chun Sung-ho rolled up his 10th change-up and drew a superior solo arch. NC immediately countered with Kim Hwi-jip's timely RBI single to the right with two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the first inning. In the second inning, Taylor hit Song Chan-eui and Lee Young-bin one after another. The two quickly made a score with a double steal, and Lee Joo-heon scored a point with a grounder to third base.

LG made a big inning in the top of the fourth inning. Leading hitter Koo Bon-hyuk was tagged out for an overrun despite a hit in right-center. However, Song Chan-eui saved the atmosphere with a triple on the right field line, and Lee Young-bin and Lee Joo-heon added two runs with consecutive timely hits.

As Lee Jae-won drew a walk, the mound changed from Son Joo-hwan to Lim Jung-ho. However, he could not stop the rising LG lineup. Chun Sung-ho once again opened with a timely RBI single to the right. Hong Chang-ki hit a timely RBI in the middle and Austin hit the first pitch and hit a three-run home run to the left.

LG took care of Austin and Hong Chang-ki from the bottom of the fourth inning. NC also recovered a point in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Lee Jae-won hit a solo shot over the middle wall in the top of the fifth inning to maintain the difference. LG's 10-2 lead.

NC also saved face with a big inning in the bottom of the seventh inning. Against the changed pitcher Bae Jae-joon, Chun Jae-hwan and Shin Jae-in drew consecutive walks. Chun Sung-ho was largely unable to catch Ko Jun-hwi's ground ball at once. Han Jae-hwan hit Bae Jae-joon's first-pitch slider and hit it wide over the left-center fence. A grand slam that makes up four runs at once.

But that was it. Rather, Lee Jae-won added another point with a sacrifice fly to center field with an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning when LG made Ham Chang-gun's walk, Lee Young-bin and Ryu Hyun's consecutive hits.

LG closer Kim Young-woo, who came up in the ninth inning, struck out Oh Young-soo and Ko Jun-hwi in a row after giving a walk to leadoff hitter Chun Jae-hwan. LG's victory was confirmed as Han Jae-hwan also grounded out to shortstop.

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*This content was translated by AI.