"It's time to beat KIA now, we can't just stop one Kim Do-young..." LG's key players clench their teeth in determination [WC1 On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The LG Twins will now move to Gwangju to face the KIA Tigers. Will LG be able to avenge the four-game losing streak they suffered against KIA at the end of the regular season?

On the 14th, LG defeated the Doosan Bears 4-1 in Game 1 of the Wild Card series of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League postseason at Seoul Jamsil Stadium.

In the Wild Card series, a team ranked fourth in the regular season can advance to the semi-playoffs by winning just one game. As a result, LG will head to Gwangju after playing only one game. On the other hand, fifth-place Doosan ended their autumn baseball season in a single game.

Having concluded the Wild Card deciding game early, LG will play Game 1 of the semi-playoffs against third-place KIA at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field at 2 p.m. on the 17th.

LG announced that Anders Tolhurst would be the starting pitcher for Game 1. James Neal is a strong candidate for KIA. This season, LG was outmatched by KIA in their regular season head-to-head record with 7 wins and 9 losses. Most notably, they are currently on a seven-game losing streak against them.

Most importantly, LG ceded the third-place spot to KIA after losing all three games of their home series at Jamsil near the end of the season, as well as the final away game in Gwangju. In response, LG players revealed a strong will to avenge their defeats against KIA.

After securing a spot in the semi-playoffs on the 14th, Austin showed a respectful attitude in an interview with reporters regarding his home run race and rematch with Kim Do-young, saying, "I am not thinking deeply about that part because the regular season is already over. Kim Do-young has become the home run champion. I believe it was certainly a goal he desperately wanted to achieve. I sincerely want to convey my congratulations."

He then added, "Especially setting such records at a young age is an amazing achievement. He is already a superstar, and I think he will become an even bigger player in the future. However, we have now entered the autumn baseball stage. The postseason is different. Individual regular season statistics are not important in short series. I believe it is important to focus on one's role as a good teammate for the team's victory right now."

LG captain Park Hae-min also reaffirmed his determination to win. In response to questions about Kim Do-young, he said emphatically, "Actually, baseball is a sport played by nine people. While Kim Do-young is truly an outstanding and influential player, I do not think that stopping just one Kim Do-young will increase our winning percentage. There are good table setters in front of him, and many good hitters like Castro and Na Sung-bum positioned behind him. Therefore, rather than being conscious of just one Kim Do-young, shouldn't we go to Gwangju with the mindset of facing the KIA Tigers?"

Following up on questions about their recent losing streak against KIA, he said, "It seems like it's time to win now. If we go there with that mindset, win, and return to Jamsil, I think conditions will be created for us to play comfortably since it is also our home ground. We will put on a good game in Gwangju. I hope the players also head down to Gwangju with the mindset that 'we have lost many times to KIA recently, so it's time to win now,'" reaffirming his determination once again.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop of LG, the team's commander-in-chief, also expressed his will to win, saying, "In the head-to-head matches against KIA at the end of the season, we were hit by Kim Do-young every time in crucial moments. This time, how we stop Kim Do-young seems important."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original