The absolute powerhouse that dreamed of a wire-to-wire victory has vanished. The LG Twins, plagued by recent struggles, ultimately could not stop the fierce wing flaps of the Hanwha Eagles and surrendered the tie for first place.

The LG Twins lost 2-5 in the Children's Day derby against the Doosan Bears in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held on May 5 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.

Against the Doosan's starting left-hander, Col Ervin, LG lined up Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Song Chan-eui (left fielder), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Jung-bin (first baseman), Koo Bon-hyeok (second baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), and Lee Ju-hun (catcher).

The two double plays in the early stages were critical. As the game started, Hong Chang-ki hit a single to left, but Song Chan-eui could only manage a double play to shortstop-second baseman-first baseman. In the 3rd inning, with one out and runners on first, Hong Chang-ki contributed to another double play that doused the momentum. Earlier, Moon Bo-kyung's hit by pitch in the 2nd inning, as well as consecutive strikeouts by Oh Ji-hwan and Moon Jung-bin, and Koo Bon-hyeok's fly to right field, went to waste.

In the 4th inning, the lack of hits in scoring position added to the troubles. After one out, Austin Dean drew a straight walk, and Moon Bo-kyung hit a single to left, creating a first and second base opportunity. Following this, Oh Ji-hwan made a fielder's choice at shortstop and stole second base, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Moon Jung-bin ended the inning with a ground ball to third base.

LG barely managed to score its first point in the 5th inning, trailing 0-2. However, this also left room for regret. They could only score one run on a sacrifice fly to center field by Song Chan-eui with one out and bases loaded. Continuing with two outs and runners on first and third, Austin grounded out to third, eliciting sighs from the visiting fans.

In the 7th inning, trailing 1-4, with two outs, Lee Ju-hun drew a walk, and Hong Chang-ki hit a single to right, igniting a spark of hope. Next, Kim Hyun-soo came in as a pinch hitter and delivered an RBI single against Choi Ji-kang, but once again, Austin was unable to capitalize on the continued opportunity with two outs and runners on first and second, grounding out to the shortstop.

Unlike the batting lineup, the pitching staff fulfilled their role. Song Seung-ki pitched 6 innings, allowing 8 hits (including 1 home run), with no walks, 5 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs on 99 pitches, performing beyond the role of a fifth starter, while the supporting trio of Lee Woo-chan, Baek Seung-hyun, and Bae Jae-jun also kept the Doosan lineup to just 1 run. Ultimately, the two early double plays and the missed scoring opportunities in the 4th, 5th, and 7th innings led to the defeat.

By losing the game to their rivals, LG's three-game winning streak was broken, and they fell into a pit of five consecutive away losses. Furthermore, in the same time frame, the Hanwha Eagles, who defeated the Samsung Lions in Daejeon, seized first place in a tie. They now have a record of 22 wins and 13 losses (winning percentage .629).

LG was an absolute powerhouse with no rivals in the early season. True to the cheering catchphrase 'Invincible LG,' they surged to an overwhelming first place. Starting with seven consecutive wins, they recorded 11 wins and 1 loss in 12 games, reaching a .917 winning percentage, and by the 19th of last month, they had pulled a remarkable 6-game lead over second-place Hanwha.

LG began to lose momentum after suffering their first losing streak against the NC Dinos on April 22. Although they seemed to briefly shift the atmosphere with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss, they fell into a five-game losing streak from the game against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on April 26 to the game against the SSG Landers in Jamsil on May 2, ultimately surrendering the title of absolute powerhouse. LG managed to string together two consecutive wins again, but Hanwha's recent dominating performance with 15 wins and 2 losses in their last 17 games caused them to relinquish their solo first-place position.

On June 6, LG will attempt to turn the tide, putting ace Yoni Chirinos on the mound. If they lose to Doosan again and Hanwha defeats Samsung, their bid for the second wire-to-wire championship in KBO League history will collapse.

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