"Woo Kang-hoon, 154km" winner team, "Losing, losing, losing." Nightmare... The bullpen erased it! LG beats KIA 7-2 and wins for the first time of the season [Jamsil Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Last year's winning team, the LG Twins, overpowered the KIA Tigers thanks to the bullpen's performance and won their first victory of the 2026 season.

LG defeated KIA 7-2 in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season home game held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 1st.

As a result, LG, which broke its opening three consecutive losses, balanced the series by starting from the ground up. It is also a pleasant victory for LG, which broke its six consecutive losses from the last three home games against the Samsung Lions on September 20 last year. KIA failed to continue its joy of victory the previous day (March 31) and recorded a 1-3 tie with LG.

The bullpen's performance was remarkable. Starting pitcher Song Seung-ki failed to last five innings with four hits (82 pitches), one hit (one homer), one walk, four strikeouts, and one run in four ⅓ innings. Kim Jin-sung (⅔ innings), Jang Hyun-sik (1 inning), Ham Deok-ju (1 inning), and Woo Kang-hoon (1 inning) kept the lead by combining scoreless runs. In the top of the ninth inning, Bae Jae-joon was shaken with two hits and two walks in ⅔ innings, but Yoo Young-chan blocked the game with one ball and did not give up the game.

In particular, Woo Kang-hoon showed impressive performance with perfect pitching, striking out one strikeout in one inning with a maximum speed of 154km/h. In the batting lineup, Moon Sung-joo also played 2 hits, 1 RBI and 1 walk in 3 at-bats, and Park Dong-won played 1 hit, 2 RBIs and 2 walks in 3 at-bats. With this RBI, Park Dong-won recorded his 64th 700th RBI in the KBO.

On the other hand, KIA became a losing pitcher with starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong marking three hits, four walks, four strikeouts, and three runs in four innings. Only leadoff Kim Ho-ryeong recorded 3 hits in 4 at-bats, and the remaining batters combined for 3 hits and lost.

On this day, LG's lineup was composed of Hong Chang-ki (right wing), Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Austin Dean (first baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-joo (left wing), Oh Ji-hwan (striker), Koo Bon-hyuk (third baseman), Lee Jae-won (designated hitter), and Park Hae-min (middle fielder). The starting pitcher is Song Seung-ki.

Against this, KIA formed a lineup of Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Harold Castro (left fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-bum (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (designated hitter), Yoon Do-hyun (first baseman), Gerid Dale (striker), Kim Tae-gun (fouler), and Park Min (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Yang Hyun-jong.

KIA hit from the first inning. LG right fielder Hong Chang-ki failed to make a diving catch when leadoff hitter Kim Ho-ryeong hit the ball on the left-field line, making it a double. Kim Ho-ryeong, who went to third base due to Castro's subsequent grounder, failed to hit home. Kim Do-young grounded out and Na Sung-bum struck out a full count, ending the inning without scoring.

LG immediately opened the first place. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Shin Min-jae and Austin got on base with consecutive left-handed hits, and Park Dong-won walked to load the bases. Moon Sung-joo scored the first run with a pushout walk, and Oh Ji-hwan brought the third baseman home with a grounder to the second base. Kim Do-young failed to catch Koo Bon-hyuk's surprise bunt. In the meantime, third baseman Park Dong-won also homered, and LG took a 3-0 lead.

KIA only made up one point with Oh Sun-woo's superior solo shot in the top of the fifth inning. While the LG bullpen continued to pitch scoreless, the batters beat the KIA mound. In the bottom of the sixth inning, leadoff hitter Lee Jae-won walked on base, Park Hae-min hit a fly ball to right field, and Hong Chang-ki hit a double on the left-field line to become second and third base with one out. Shin Min-jae got a walk and Austin hit a sacrifice fly to right field to the changed pitcher Cho Sang-woo.

In the top of the eighth inning, Woo Kang-hoon brought the atmosphere to LG with a heavy fastball. He hit fastball of more than 150 kilometers per hour in a row, striking out Jung Hyun-chang, the first batter, with a swing and miss. Kim Ho-ryeong, who had a good batting sense on the day, also grounded out to the second base with three pitches, and also attracted Castro to the outside fastball and caught him with a groundout to the third base.

LG's batters had nothing to be rough about. Leading hitter Chun Sung-ho got on base with a double on the right-field line and headed to third base when Park Hae-min's sacrifice bunt. When Hong Chang-ki hit a ground ball, pinch runner Choi Won-young swept home to score an additional point. With Shin Min-jae's walk and double steal on the second and third bases with two outs, Park Dong-won sealed with a two-run timely double on the left-field line.

KIA recovered one point by loading the bases in the top of the ninth inning, but closer Yoo Young-chan finished the game by flying Jung Hyun-chang with one ball.

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*This content was translated by AI.