The professional baseball team LG Twins achieved a dramatic walk-off victory.

LG won 9-8 against the NC Dinos in their 11th matchup of the season at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 18th. This allowed LG to close the gap with the Hanwha Eagles, who are in 1st place and lost to the Lotte Giants in Busan that day, by 0.5 games.

After the game, manager Youm Kyoung-youb said, “Overall, it was an important game, and I want to praise the players for not losing focus until the end and securing the walk-off victory.”

Manager Youm also noted, “Shin Min-jae had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, and Moon Bo-gyeong played an important role with 4 RBIs, while the middle relief pitchers allowed 2 runs but managed to handle long innings well after the 5th, enabling us to win.

Lastly, he said, “Thanks to the passionate support of the fans today, the players were able to maintain their focus and secure the victory at the end.

LG scored first when Shin Min-jae walked and Kim Hyun-soo hit a single to set up a 1st and 3rd base scenario, followed by Moon Bo-gyeong's sacrifice fly to left field. In the 2nd inning, lead-off hitter Gu Bon-hyeok reached base with a single to right field, and with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd, Shin Min-jae hit a timely single to center. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Moon Bo-gyeong drew a walk off the new pitcher Choi Sung-young, extending the lead to 3-0.

LG starter Chiri-nos pitched well through the 2nd inning but allowed a 2-run timely hit to Park Min-woo with 1 out and the bases loaded in the 3rd. The 3rd inning saw 4 consecutive hits with 2 outs and a runner on 2nd, resulting in a 3-5 turn of events.

In the 4th inning, LG narrowed the gap to 4-5 after Shin Min-jae walked, Kim Hyun-soo hit a single to left, and Austin drew a walk, leading to a bases-loaded situation, with Moon Bo-gyeong grounding out to second base.

LG staged a comeback in the 5th inning, trailing 4-6. Moon Sung-ju hit a single, Gu Bon-hyeok executed a surprise bunt single, and Choi Won-young contributed another single to load the bases with no outs. Park Hae-min drew a walk, closing the gap by 1 point, and then Shin Min-jae hit a timely single to center, turning the score to 7-6. In a continued 1 out, bases loaded situation, Moon Bo-gyeong hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 8-6.

In the 6th inning, reliever Jang Hyeon-sik was replaced after allowing consecutive hits and an infield ground ball, facing a 1 out, 1st and 3rd base risk. Kim Jin-sung came in and allowed a sacrifice fly, reducing the lead to 1 point. In the 7th inning, Lee Ji-kang took the mound and pitched 1 inning without allowing any runs. In the 8th inning, with 1 out and a runner on 1st, a throwing error by the catcher during a stolen base attempt and another throwing error by the center fielder allowed the runner to score, tying the game at 8-8.

In the bottom of the 9th, after 1 out, Park Hae-min walked and Shin Min-jae hit a single to set up a walk-off opportunity with runners on 1st and 3rd. Song Chan-ui hit a ground ball to the shortstop, and due to the shortstop fumbling the ball, they failed to execute a double play, resulting in a walk-off victory. Song Chan-ui secured the game-winning hit.

Closer Yoo Young-chan recorded a win after pitching 1 inning with no runs allowed in the 9th. Kim Jin-sung and Lee Ji-yong each recorded holds.

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