"Austin and Chan-gi saved many people," relieved Yeom Kyung-yeop gives ambiguous answer to Oh Ji-hwan's exclusion from the starting lineup [Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

After a series of twists and turns, they secured a valuable victory the previous day. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) of the LG Twins passed the ball to his players.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the NC Dinos at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 26th, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop met with reporters and said, "Yesterday, Austin and (Hong) Chan-gi saved not only the team but also many people," passing the ball to them.

LG, which has been engaged in a tough standings race during the second half of the season, was trailing 0-2 until the top of the eighth inning but managed to take the lead with Austin's three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, closer Son Ju-young allowed two consecutive hits and a straight walk with one out, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Kim Hyung-jun, tying the game. Fortunately, Seo Ho-cheol was turned into a double play, sending the game into extra innings.

John Kennedy, who appeared in the top of the tenth, gave up one run, but LG quickly seized the opportunity. Austin, leading off, hit a powerful ball against NC's Jeon Sa-min. He needed just one triple to complete a cycle hit, but the ball struck the center-field wall and bounced out. Austin passed first and second base and reached third, marking the 33rd instance in KBO history and the fourth in LG franchise history after Seo Yong-bin (1994), Ahn Chi-yong (2008), and Lee Byung-kyu (2013). It was also the first time a foreign player achieved this feat.

Following that, Song Chan-ui hit a two-run double to tie the game. NC found themselves in a tight spot, and Moon Bo-kyung and Moon Jeong-bin were automatically walked, filling the bases. However, Koo Bon-hyuk and Park Dong-won flew out consecutively, but Hong Chang-gi ended the game with an hit to left-center field.

Manager Yeom said, "I thought Austin's hit would go over the fence. It hit the fence just as it was about to become a cycle hit," laughing.

Anders Tolhurst held strong for six innings allowing two runs, but the team had to endure four more innings afterward. Manager Yeom praised, "Yesterday, our chasing group did well. (Lee) Woo-chan and (Kim) Jin-su kept them in check, allowing us to take the lead."

The tenth inning was dramatic. With one out and a runner on third base at the top of the tenth, Shin Jae-in's hit struck Kennedy's glove and became an infield single, resulting in a run. If it hadn't hit the glove, it could have ended with a double play, making the situation even more regrettable.

However, Manager Yeom remarked, "If it had dropped, it would have been a simple double, but since it turned out that way, I thought, 'It's happening again today.' But then baseball turned out like this." He added, "With the bases loaded and two fly balls hit, I said, 'This is baseball,' and Chan-gi delivered the game-winning hit that saved the team. This is baseball. The more you play, the more variables and difficulties arise."

Despite the joyful victory, third-place LG trails fourth-place KIA Tigers by 0.5 games and fifth-place Doosan Bears by 1.5 games. They cannot afford to relax in any single game.

In this situation, Oh Ji-hwan was excluded from the starting lineup. For today's game, LG set its starting lineup as Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Moon Jeong-bin (first baseman), Koo Bon-hyuk (shortstop), Park Dong-won (catcher), and Hong Chang-gi (right fielder).

When asked about Oh Ji-hwan's exclusion from the starting lineup, Manager Yeom replied, "I don't know," holding back further comments. He committed an error in the third-inning defense and went hitless in three at-bats. It appears to be related to his recent slump, with a batting average of 0.156 over the last ten games.

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*This content was translated by AI.