'What an emotional first win at 28' → "I held on for 5 to 6 years, and today's good result is the payoff." It turns out he was the pitcher who recorded a Futures League shutout!

*This content was translated by AI.

For some, a single win on the professional stage is easy; for others, it is as difficult and precious as this. It took him six years to secure his first win after debuting in the professional leagues in 2021. The person behind this emotional moment is none other than LG Twins' Kim Jin-soo (28).

On the 25th, LG secured a 7-5 comeback victory over Doosan Bears in an away regular-season game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

With this win, LG improved to 16 wins and 7 losses, overtaking second-place KT Wiz by 0.5 games to take sole possession of first place. Meanwhile, Doosan fell into a three-game losing streak after losing 1-4 to LG the previous day, bringing their season record to 9 wins, 1 tie, and 14 losses.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, when LG trailed 3-5, Kim Jin-soo entered the game as the third pitcher following Ham Deok-ju.

Kim Ji-soo got leadoff batter Cameron to fly out to center field on the first pitch, then struck out Yang Seok-hwan on three pitches. He allowed a single to Kim Min-seok to the left side but retired Lee Yu-chan on a fly out to right field, finishing the inning without allowing a run.

Kim Jin-soo took the mound again in the 8th inning and retired the side in order. He struck out No. 9 batter Jeong Soobin with a fourth-pitch (changeup) swing-and-miss, then got Park Chan-ho out on a fly out to center field. He also induced Son A-seop into a ground ball to second base, pitching two scoreless innings. In the top of the 9th, the team took a 7-5 lead, and in the bottom of the 9th, Jang Hyun-sik took the mound to preserve the lead, securing the victory for LG and making Kim Jin-soo the winning pitcher. This was the moment Kim Jin-soo earned his first win since debuting in the professional leagues.

After the game, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop praised the team, saying, "The starting pitcher, Tolhurst, struggled with his command, making the game difficult. However, Ham Deok-ju and Kim Jin-soo held the line without allowing any additional runs after the 5th inning, which laid the foundation for the victory. Jang Hyun-sik came in as the closer and shut the door cleanly, allowing us to win."

Kim Jin-soo said, "(Ham) Deok-ju hyung was on the mound when the coach told me to prepare to enter. After he pitched one inning, I was given the opportunity to pitch multiple innings. I used the splitter as my key pitch. In fact, there were many regrets from the previous game. Last time, I was too greedy, and the result was poor. This time, I let go of that greed and pitched. Coach Kim Kwang-sam gave me specific advice regarding pitching yesterday. Thanks to that advice, I was able to pitch comfortably both mentally and technically."

He continued, "I am grateful to the veteran pitchers, the manager, and the coaches who offered advice to help us win. Especially, April 25 is the day I first met my wife. It is a grateful and happy day to achieve a good result on such a special day. Everyone hopes for a win on the first-division professional stage, and I was no different. I believe that by holding on for 5 to 6 years, I have reached this good result today. I want to use this record as a turning point and move forward."

Kim Jin-soo, who graduated from Iseocho Elementary School, Gunsan Middle School, Gunsan High School, and Chung-Ang University, was selected by LG in the second round of the 2021 KBO Rookie Draft as the 17th overall pick. He debuted in the professional leagues in 2021 and appeared in only three games that year. He then pitched in eight games (13 1/3 innings, 6.75 ERA) during the 2024 season and four games (5 innings, 9.00 ERA) during the 2025 season.

It was on August 23 of last year that he first gained recognition. At Icheon Bears Park, he recorded a 9-inning (91 pitches), 3-hit, 0-walk, 6-strikeout scoreless shutout against the Doosan Futures team in the Futures League. Kim Jin-soo's 9-inning Futures League shutout was the 48th such record in KBO history. And after another year passed, he finally secured the emotional first win on the professional stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.