'Six-game winning streak LG' final puzzle: 'Career low' Year of the Horse duo rebounds... "Oh Ji-hwan and Park Dong-won delivered at least 50% in the playoffs," Manager Yeom Gal-ryang believes

*This content was translated by AI.

Six-game winning streak. The LG Twins, approaching the postseason, have clearly come back to life. All that remains is the final puzzle piece: the revival of a veteran duo who have led the team but experienced ups and downs this season.

On the 19th, LG defeated the Hanwha Eagles 2-1 in a home game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With six consecutive wins, LG has recorded 74 wins, 55 losses, and 1 tie, narrowing the gap with second-place Samsung Lions to just three games.

Entering September, the team boasts an impressive 10-4 record, showing strong momentum. The overall rebound is encouraging. Even Anders Tolhurst, who had been in a severe slump, has fully recovered. In his last five starts, he delivered four quality starts (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs) and secured two wins. Manager Yeom explained, "Yesterday, the forkball was excellent. It dropped well. On days when the forkball drops effectively, there are many strikeouts and ground balls; on days it doesn't work well, fly balls dominate. The difference between good and bad forkball days is significant."

The lineup also scored 43 runs during the six-game winning streak. Manager Yeom stated, "What's improved is that players who weren't hitting well are now stepping up in rotation."

Most significantly, the impact of Ko Woo-seok, who fulfilled his dream of debuting in Major League Baseball (MLB) before returning to his original team, has been substantial. Manager Yeom noted, "The most important thing is that since Woo-seok joined and stabilized the middle of the bullpen, other pitchers have also performed well."

Indeed, LG soared in September following Ko Woo-seok's return, powered by a strong bullpen. In six appearances, he pitched 8⅓ innings, recording three wins, no losses, one save, and one hold without allowing any earned runs. The team went 8-0 in games where they held the lead through seven innings and 8-0 in games where they led through five innings, ranking first in both categories.

Although LG's bullpen posted an ERA of 5.33 in September, ranking eighth, it can be interpreted that they have developed the ability to secure wins when needed.

It is even more meaningful that the team continues to climb despite the absence of reliever Kim Young-woo and slugger Moon Bo-kyung, who are participating in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The only regret lies with the performance of the veteran duo.

Oh Ji-hwan (36) finished the season with a batting average of .239 (87 hits in 364 at-bats), 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, 49 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .321, a slugging percentage of .396, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .717 across 116 games. This marks his lowest batting average since 2011.

Park Dong-won (36) also recorded a batting average of .224 (71 hits in 317 at-bats), 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 46 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .332, a slugging percentage of .385, and an OPS of .717 across 115 games. This represents his lowest batting average since 2013.

Fortunately, Oh Ji-hwan has recently regained his hitting form, going 8-for-20 in his last five games. Manager Yeom remarked, "(Oh) Ji-hwan is coming back to life. (Park) Dong-won needs to do the same. In the playoffs, both of them have always performed well and will bounce back." He added with confidence, "In the playoffs, whether it was 2023 or 2025, didn't they both deliver at least 50%?"

Oh Ji-hwan led the team to a championship in the 2023 Korean Series, batting .316 (6 hits in 19 at-bats) with three home runs, eight RBIs, and six runs scored. He posted an on-base percentage of .409, a slugging percentage of .842, and an OPS of 1.251, earning Korean Series MVP honors.

Park Dong-won also soared in that year's Korean Series, batting .313 (5 hits in 16 at-bats) with two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. He recorded an on-base percentage of .421, a slugging percentage of .688, and an OPS of 1.109. In 2025, he managed only a .167 average (3 hits in 18 at-bats) but hit two home runs to drive in six RBIs.

To smile once again in the playoffs, both players must rebound. As key figures leading the team's core, their resurgence is precisely what LG needs most.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.