'Painful extra-inning loss' tormented LG's Yeom Kyung-yeop, "We could have gone in a bad direction..." Smiled again with a perfect performance [Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

"We could have gone in a bad direction, but the players showed great focus..."

Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), manager of the LG Twins, smiled. It was a clean, no-frills victory that completely erased the pain of the uncomfortable trip to Changwon.

On the 9th, LG secured a decisive 8-2 victory over the SSG Landers in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Seoul Songpa-gu Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

With this win ending their two-game losing streak, LG improved to 37 wins and 23 losses, maintaining a 1.5-game lead over second-place KT Wiz, who also won on this day.

The extra-inning loss to NC last week on the 7th, the final game of the previous week, was painfully bitter. LG fell behind 0-6 from the start, but rallied with one run in the fourth, another in the fourth, and three more in the fourth, quickly closing the gap. They tied the game in the eighth inning.

However, failing to take the lead left a lingering regret. Following Park Hae-min's double and an infield grounder by Austin Dean that resulted in an opponent's error, LG tied the game with a wild pitch with one out and runners on third base. Moon Bo-kyung also reached base on a walk, creating a bases-empty, one-out opportunity at first and second.

But that was as far as it went. Oh Ji-hwan's fly ball to shortstop and Moon Sung-ju's double play ended the inning. In the ninth, they ultimately surrendered an extra-inning hit and lost, falling into a two-game losing streak.

Before the game, Manager Yeom lingered over the eighth-inning offensive scene, expressing deep regret. "I am a manager who needs a win more than anyone. Last year, without a single win, we couldn't have taken first place, and in 2019, that's why we had a tiebreaker," he reflected on the inability to secure a victory.

Despite the challenging situation, the game unfolded smoothly from the start. Starter Im Chan-kyu allowed a run in the second inning, but LG quickly seized momentum in the bottom of the second. Veteran LG batters capitalized on a rookie pitcher making his debut, generating a big inning. Starting with Oh Ji-hwan's double with one out, a bases-loaded situation was created via walks by Park Dong-won and Song Chan-ui. A ground ball to shortstop by Gu Bon-hyeok scored one run, followed by consecutive hits from Shin Min-jae and Park Hae-min adding three more. A ground ball to first base by Moon Sung-ju brought in the fifth run, extending the lead to 5-1.

Im Chan-kyu allowed four walks over five innings but pitched skillfully, limiting the SSG lineup to just one run.

The LG lineup started with Park Hae-min's infield hit in the bottom of the fifth, followed by consecutive hits from Moon Sung-ju and Austin, scoring one run. With two outs and bases loaded, Song Chan-ui drew a bases-loaded walk to score another run. Gu Bon-hyeok then hit a go-ahead two-run single to bring in the eighth run. The bullpen then held the remaining innings to just one run, securing the victory.

After the game, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop praised the team: "Im Chan-kyu fulfilled his role as a starter, and relievers Woo Kang-hoon, Bae Jae-jun, and Park Si-won each took responsibility for their innings, allowing us to win."

The lineup's early dominance over the opposing starter was also decisive. Manager Yeom stated, "We were able to take control of the game's flow from the start thanks to Shin Min-jae's two-run hit and Park Hae-min's additional two-run double, which created a big inning. In a situation where we needed more runs, Austin, Song Chan-ui, and Gu Bon-hyeok delivered key RBIs to secure the win. I especially want to praise Park Hae-min for leading the entire lineup with two hits, two RBIs, and three times on base."

This marked the start of a new week following a losing series in Changwon. With second-place KT Wiz closing the gap to 1.5 games, the victory was even more welcome. Manager Yeom said, "Overall, this was a very important game. We could have gone in a bad direction, but the players showed great focus, allowing us to start the week on a good note and giving us hope for the remaining games. Despite it being a weekday, many fans came to cheer us on, and thanks to their support, we were able to win. We are grateful."

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*This content was translated by AI.