“Kim Jae-hwan’s 300th Home Run → Sweep in 1,957 Days!” SSG Edges Out in a Sweat-Inducing Win... LG Stunned by Fifth Straight Loss [Incheon On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The SSG Landers, led by Kim Jae-hwan (38) hitting his 300th career home run, swept the three-game series against the LG Twins for the first time in 1,957 days. Despite allowing a six-run lead to narrow to one run, they ultimately held on for a 6-5 victory, while LG fell into a shocking five-game losing streak.

SSG defeated LG 6-5 in a home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 1st.

With this, SSG, which secured all three games of its final series against LG this season, moved significantly closer to sixth place with a record of 61 wins, 5 draws, and 71 losses. It has been 1,957 days since SSG last swept a three-game series against LG on the 21-23, 2021. LG, which is in a critical phase of the season, fell into a five-game losing streak, putting its third-place standing at risk with a record of 75 wins, 1 draw, and 60 losses.

SSG’s focus stood out. Jo Hyeong-woo made four appearances on base with three hits in three at-bats, one walk, and two runs scored. For LG, Koo Bon-hyuk hit multiple hits, but his performance was overshadowed by the team’s defeat.

In the starting pitcher matchup, SSG secured a decisive victory. SSG’s Kim Min-jun pitched five innings, allowing five hits (two home runs), three walks, and four runs while striking out six. LG’s Im Chan-gyu pitched three innings, allowing six hits (one home run) and four runs with no walks or strikeouts, suffering his seventh loss of the season (14 wins). SSG’s Kim Min became the third pitcher in history to record 20 saves in 70 games for three consecutive seasons, following Kim Jin-seong and Noh Kyung-eun.

Meanwhile, SSG attracted 15,772 fans on this day, bringing its total attendance for the year to 1,213,900 and achieving over 1.2 million home game attendees for the second consecutive year.

On this day, LG lined up its batting order as follows: Park Hae-min (center fielder), Koo Bon-hyuk (second baseman), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Song Chan-ui (left fielder), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Jeong-bin (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), and Lee Jae-won (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Im Chan-gyu.

In response, SSG arranged its batting order as follows: Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Guillermo Heredia (left fielder), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Ko Myung-jun (third baseman), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Jo Hyeong-woo (catcher), and Jung Jun-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Kim Min-jun.

The home team SSG scored first again on this day. Veteran Kim Jae-hwan, in his first at-bat of the second inning with two outs, crushed a 141 km/h fastball from Im Chan-gyu, who was struggling, sending it deep over the center field fence. It was a 130-meter fly ball that marked his 24th home run of the season and his 300th career home run.

They immediately took control of the momentum with a big inning. In the third inning, leadoff batter Jo Hyeong-woo hit a single to center field, Park Sung-han hit a single to right-center, and Choi Ji-hoon hit a single to left field, creating a bases-loaded opportunity with one out. Heredia easily delivered a sacrifice fly to right field for one run, and Jeon Ui-san pulled an outside changeup in an unfavorable 0-2 count, hitting a one-run RBI single that skidded past the second baseman. Ko Myung-jun also attacked the first-pitch changeup, connecting with a one-run RBI single to left field, instantly giving SSG a 4-0 lead.

The momentum brought by Kim Jae-hwan continued. In the fourth inning, Han Yu-seom walked against reliever Lee Jung-yong, Jo Hyeong-woo hit a single to left field, and Jung Jun-jae bunted a single to load the bases with no outs. Park Sung-han drew a bases-loaded walk, and LG’s mound was changed from Lee Jung-yong to Lee Woo-chan. Subsequently, Choi Ji-hoon added an RBI with an infield grounder to second base, extending SSG’s lead to 6-0.

LG’s counterattack began in the latter half of the game. In the top of the fifth inning, leadoff batter Moon Bo-kyung walked, and Park Dong-won attacked the first pitch, reaching base with a single to left field. Lee Jae-won, despite an unfavorable 1-2 count, selected the fourth pitch, a low fastball, and then immediately crushed a high fastball. The ball cleared the center field fence for a three-run home run with a carry of 130 meters.

LG activated its home run power once again. In the top of the sixth inning, leadoff batter Oh Ji-hwan swung at a forkball that dropped in the middle of the plate after a full count, sending it over the right field fence for a solo home run with a carry of 115 meters. Ultimately, Kim Min-jun could not complete the sixth inning and was replaced by Kim Min, leaving the mound.

The pursuit continued. In the top of the seventh inning, against reliever Moon Seung-won, Koo Bon-hyuk created an opportunity with an infield hit in the second out. Austin Dean drew a walk, and an unbelievable event occurred during Song Chan-ui’s at-bat. The ball that Song Chan-ui popped up high was not retrieved by any SSG infielder, and it fell between the third baseman, pitcher, and catcher. In the meantime, Koo Bon-hyuk, who had already reached third base as a runner from second, scored to bring LG within one run at 5-6. The play was recorded as an infield hit in front of the pitcher.

As LG failed to turn that run into a lead, SSG’s victory was confirmed as it stood.

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*This content was translated by AI.