'Why' is LG alone in first place even with injured players? → "That's why our team has a vision... Will we replace a coach during the season? I don't know much about that"

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins swept a three-game series against KIA Tigers and maintained their sole first-place position. Head coach Yeom Kyung-yeop of LG expressed gratitude to the organization Hyeon Jang-eul (CEO).

LG defeated KIA 5-3 in a home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium the previous day (31st).

With this victory, LG, which had defeated KIA 12-2 on the 29th and then won 3-1, secured a three-game winning streak. They also became the protagonists of the three-game winning series this weekend. LG finished with 33 wins and 20 losses, maintaining their sole first-place position in the league. They lead second-place KT Wiz by 0.5 games and third-place Samsung Lions by one game.

After the game, 'winning' coach Yeom said, "Oh Ji-hwan's lead-off RBI and Austin's two-run home run allowed us to take control of the game's early momentum. In a situation where we needed additional runs, Hong Chang-ki and Park Hae-min delivered extra runs, enabling us to win. In the batting lineup, Hong Chang-ki led the overall offense with 4 hits and 1 RBI, while Park Hae-min contributed 3 hits and 1 RBI. Tolhurst performed his role well as the starting pitcher."

He continued, "After that, Kim Jin-su and Woo Kang-hoon, who were in our winning rotation, held their innings and played a bridging role. Son Ju-young had some difficulties at the end, but he secured the save with a stable performance, allowing us to win. Thanks to the fans who filled the stadium with a full house during the three-game series this weekend, we were able to achieve a three-game winning streak for the weekend series. We are grateful."

On this day, LG starter Tolhurst pitched 6 innings (90 pitches total), allowing 5 hits, 4 walks, striking out 5 batters, and giving up 1 earned run, delivering a strong performance to achieve his 7th win of the season. With this victory, Tolhurst rose to sole first place in the wins category.

Following Tolhurst, Kim Jin-su (2/3 innings, 2 hits allowed, 1 strikeout, 1 run, 1 earned run), Ham Deok-ju (1/3 innings, no hits allowed, 1 strikeout, scoreless), Woo Kang-hoon (1 inning, 1 hit allowed, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, scoreless), and Son Ju-young (1 inning, 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run) pitched in succession to secure the team victory. In the batting lineup that recorded 12 hits total, Hong Chang-ki went 4-for-5 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored, while Park Hae-min went 3-for-4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored, both performing dominantly.

Before the game, Coach Yeom commented on regaining the first-place position, saying, "I think we did our best and held on well. Ultimately, I believe it's not possible for just one person to hold on. In fact, there were countless difficulties. There were particularly many difficulties in the batting department. However, instead of blaming each other for certain problems, we shared responsibilities and found solutions through encouragement and communication. This process ultimately made the team succeed."

He continued, "What I am most grateful to the organization for is that this is truly what the organization should do. We are people who work on the field. Being reprimanded or told to replace someone is the most stressful thing on the field. However, we don't have that. The organization shows great consideration for the players and staff by communicating to find the cause of problems and offering encouragement that we can do well enough. As these things accumulate, team chemistry is formed."

LG has shown good performance this season despite injuries to key players such as Yoo Young-chan, Moon Bo-kyung, and Moon Sung-ju. Coach Yeom stated, "Thanks to this, I think we have been able to overcome crises from 2023 until now. Through this opportunity, players, coaching staff, and the organization have all realized more urgently how important it is to share responsibility, encourage each other instead of reprimanding, and accurately analyze the causes." He then added, "I don't think we are just holding on without reason. For example, there are cases where coaches are changed during the season, but I don't know much about that. I don't think I've ever seen a team that changed its coach mid-season and achieved good results that year."

He further said, "The beginning of coaching is analyzing the opponent. How much you understand and grasp the opponent is extremely important. But how can a coach who suddenly comes up from the minor leagues and doesn't do what they did before change anything? There is a huge difference between a coach like Mo Chang-min, who has communicated with players for a long time since camp and has understood them for about five years, and a coach who suddenly comes up from the minor leagues. The organization understands this well, which is why such comments are not made. In fact, such comments are a huge stress for the manager. Even if you explain every time, the organization must understand well for things to run smoothly, but if they suddenly say to change without warning, there is no way to fight back. In this regard, our team communicates very well, and that is why our team has a vision. This is the true communication between the front office and the field."

Finally, Coach Yeom said, "Teams that don't produce results usually have many problems in such areas, which leads to discord. When difficulties arise, the strength of an organization to hold on does not come from finding the person who made a mistake and punishing them. It depends on how tightly united the team is to find solutions. If it really seems impossible after the season ends, then we can let them go. If results are not produced and the process is not accurate, responsibility must naturally be held. However, I want to say that our team is overcoming this crisis by being tightly united," expressing gratitude to the organization.

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*This content was translated by AI.