Can they indeed break the five-game losing streak?

The professional baseball LG Twins will face off against the SSG Landers on the 3rd at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

The leading LG has recently fallen into a five-game losing streak, only half a game ahead of tied second-place Hanwha and Lotte. If they cannot escape the losing streak on the 3rd, they risk losing the top spot.

LG will have Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (left fielder), Austin (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Song Chan-eui (center fielder), Son Yong-jun (designated hitter), and Koo Bon-hyuk (second baseman) in the starting lineup. They have placed five right-handed batters against SSG starting pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun.

Son Yong-jun, who was called up to the first team after being registered as a regular player from the development squad the previous day, will make his starting lineup debut.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yup noted, “He has been performing the best in the second team lately, so we called him up. We are trying to give him a chance as a designated hitter on the 3rd. I don’t think he will be able to play defense just yet,” adding, “When things aren't going well, sometimes you need to try a new card for a change in momentum.”

Son Yong-jun was selected by LG in the 3rd round at 28th overall in the 2024 rookie draft. He is currently recording a batting average of .370 with 30 hits in 81 at-bats, 2 home runs, 14 RBIs, 24 runs, 11 stolen bases, 12 walks, 6 hit-by-pitches, and 14 strikeouts over 25 games in the Futures League. In the last 10 games, he has been on fire with a batting average of .460, recording 13 hits in 32 at-bats and 8 RBIs.

LG’s team batting average over the last 10 games is .198. The significant reason for their recent five-game losing streak and a dismal record of 2 wins and 8 losses is the silence of the batting lineup. Attention is now on whether Son Yong-jun can be the spark to invigorate the team.

SSG’s starting pitcher is Kim Kwang-hyun. He has a season record of 1 win and 4 losses with an earned run average of 5.30. Among 31 pitchers who have completed the regulation innings, his earned run average ranks at the bottom. After winning in his season debut, he has faced a four-game losing streak. In his last three games, he has allowed 5 runs, 5 runs, and 7 runs, respectively. His average earned run average over the last three games is 10.29 (16 earned runs in 14 innings).

LG’s starting pitcher is Im Chan-kyu. He has a record of 4 wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 2.50 over 6 games. His first 4 games were remarkable, going undefeated with an earned run average of 1.80. However, he has been slightly disappointing in his last 2 games, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings and 3 runs in 6 innings.

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