“One slip and it’s the World Cup” — 4th-place LG, with no cushion over rivals, doesn’t even know tomorrow’s (the 10th) starter… Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop also sighs: “We’re weighing options from Plan A to Plan C” [On-site in Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

In the midst of a fierce battle for third place, LG Twins Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) is deep in thought as his team must win all three remaining games. The pitching staff is so stretched thin that they have not yet confirmed the starting pitcher for their next game.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop announced the starting lineup for LG’s away game against the Lotte Giants on the 9th at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

On this day, LG arranged its batting order as Park Hae-min (center fielder) - Song Chan-ui (left fielder) - Austin Dean (first baseman) - Moon Jeong-bin (designated hitter) - Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman) - Lee Jae-won (right fielder) - Koo Bon-hyuk (shortstop) - Park Dong-won (catcher) - Lee Young-bin (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Carlos Karasuko.

In response, Lotte set its lineup as Victor Reyes (designated hitter) - Na Seung-yeop (first baseman) - Ko Seung-min (second baseman) - Han Dong-hee (third baseman) - Jeon Min-jae (shortstop) - Son Seong-bin (catcher) - Jo Se-jin (left fielder) - Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder) - Hwang Seong-bin (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Kim Han-gyeol.

They deployed ace Karasuko, who had a day off the previous day (the 8th). Karasuko, who joined as a replacement player in August, has recorded a 6-2 record with an ERA of 3.93 and 43 strikeouts in 55 innings across 10 games this year. Against Lotte, he pitched once on August 29, allowing three runs (two earned) over six innings to secure a win.

However, nothing was set for the starter starting tomorrow. As of before the game, LG stands at 77 wins, 1 draw, and 63 losses, sitting in fourth place with no cushion over the KIA Tigers (76 wins, 2 draws, 62 losses). If this continues, they will have to face the fifth-place Doosan Bears in a wild card playoff. Although they start with a one-game lead, a single-elimination game against Doosan is daunting given their powerful top three starters: Gwak Bin, Wes Benjamin, and Choi Min-seok.

The KIA Tigers hold the advantage, leading in winning percentage and having one more game to play. LG will face Lotte in Busan on the 10th and KIA in Gwangju on the 12th, starting with today’s game. KIA will begin with a game against the Changwon NC Dinos today, then host the SSG Landers, Lotte, and LG sequentially at their home ground in Gwangju from the 10th to the 12th.

The problem for LG is that there is no calculated starting pitcher ahead of this crucial three-game series. The most reliable option after Karasuko is Anders Tolhurst. He has shown inconsistency with a 12-11 record and an ERA of 4.32 in 29 games, but he is currently the most likely candidate to start on the 10th. However, having pitched five innings and allowed two runs against KIA at Jamsil on the 5th, it will be difficult for him to perform at full capacity in the game on the 10th.

Lim Chan-gyu, who is competing for the most wins title with 15 victories, can only pitch in the final game against KIA on the 12th after a four-day rest, having started against Doosan at Jamsil on the 7th. Rookie Park Si-won (20), who has shown stability with a 2-3 record in 15 games in the second half, is also worth expecting, but he too pitched against the NC Dinos at Jamsil on the 6th and lacks sufficient rest days.

Before the game, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop responded to reporters’ questions about managing starters for the remaining games by saying, “First, we are diligently considering everything from Plan A to Plan C with our coaching staff. We are looking at the situation day by day with the mindset that we must win every game. We are deliberating and holding meetings to determine which card in our team has the highest probability of success. We will decide tomorrow’s starter after today’s game ends.”

He continued, “The starter for tomorrow (the 10th) is the most ambiguous. We need to do well today and tomorrow, but our cards are limited to three starters and Park Si-won. There is a possibility that Tolhurst will enter after four days of rest. If (Kim) Yun-sik is okay, we can use him, but his balance is not yet perfect, so early runs allowed are an issue. It is complicated in many ways,” sharing his candid thoughts.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original