"There is definitely motivation": LG vs. Doosan, who will be the last to stand at Jamsil Baseball Stadium after 45 years... Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop steels his resolve [WC1 On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Who will be able to play the longest in the final autumn baseball series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which has a 45-year history? The LG Twins and Doosan Bears, two teams under one roof, are set for a fateful showdown where they must end each other's autumn campaigns. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) of the LG steels his resolve ahead of a game carrying special significance.

Manager Yeom announced the starting lineup for the first game of the Wild Card Series against Doosan in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason, which will be held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on the 14th.

On this day, LG fielded a batting order consisting of Hong Chang-ki (33, right fielder), Park Hae-min (36, center fielder), Austin Dean (33, designated hitter), Moon Jung-bin (23, first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (26, third baseman), Song Chan-ui (27, left fielder), Koo Bon-hyeok (29, shortstop), Park Dong-won (36, catcher), and Shin Min-jae (30, second baseman). The starting pitcher is Carlos Karasco (39).

LG, who finished fourth in the regular season with a record of 78 wins, 1 draw, and 65 losses, and Doosan, who finished fifth with 74 wins, 5 draws, and 65 losses, have advanced to autumn baseball. In the Wild Card Series, where the fourth-place team is given a one-game advantage, LG will advance to the Junior Playoffs if they secure either one win or one draw. Conversely, Doosan must achieve two consecutive victories to move on to the next stage.

This year's Wild Card Series is not just a contest for a spot in the Junior Playoffs. Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which opened in 1982, will disappear into history at the end of this year. Coincidentally, these two teams are set to face each other in the final postseason series held at the existing Jamsil stadium.

In particular, since neutral-site games at Jamsil were abolished starting from the 2016 Korea Series, the team eliminated in this series will no longer be able to play autumn baseball at Jamsil. On the other hand, the winning team will advance to a higher round and continue to have the opportunity to play their final home game at Jamsil.

Manager Yeom was also well aware of this significance. Speaking to reporters before the game, he said, "There is definitely motivation. I believe our players have a great deal of regret regarding the pennant race." He added, "The desire to fill that regret through the postseason is strong. We will do our best in every single game to climb as high as possible."

However, LG's situation is not easy. Closer Son Ju-young (28), who recorded 31 saves this season, was excluded from the Wild Card roster due to a herniated disc in the C6-C7 region of his neck.

Manager Yeom explained, "He received injection treatment, and I heard that he will likely not be able to play in the Wild Card Series. If we advance to the Junior Playoffs, we will have to monitor his condition." Regarding the management of the closing role, he stated, "Considering factors such as opposing batter data and batting order, it seems we will need to adopt a collective closing system."

The opposing starter is Kwak Bin (27), who leads the league in ERA this season. Although he went winless with one loss in three regular-season games against LG, he was strong, allowing four runs over 18⅓ innings for an ERA of 1.96.

Manager Yeom emphasized, "I thought the first battle would be how many pitches we can make Kwak Bin throw." He continued, "How well Hong Chang-ki, Park Hae-min, Austin, Moon Bo-kyung, and Park Dong-won fulfill their roles will have the biggest impact on unlocking our batting lineup."

He further stated, "I wanted to come here a bit later, so there is some regret. But that was the result, and what matters now is from this point forward. We must win the first Wild Card game for the players to be able to climb higher, so we will do our best to definitely win today," steeling his resolve.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original