The sky has changed.
LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb placed special significance on the Gwangju Daejeon. On the 22nd, in the first match of the weekend series against the KIA Tigers, trailing 4-7 in the 9th inning with one out, Park Hae-min hit a dramatic game-tying three-run homer, followed by a game-winning hit by Kim Hyun-soo, resulting in six consecutive hits, and the team overturned the game to win 9-7. With this victory, they have continued their winning streak with two consecutive wins.
It was a dramatic victory. In the bottom of the 8th inning, leading 4-1, Lee Jung-yong took the mound but gave up a bases-loaded situation and was pulled from the game. After one out, closer Yoo Young-chan was brought in early, but the team collapsed, allowing six runs. KIA's pinch hitter Ko Jong-wook hit a two-run single that fell inside left field, and another pinch hitter, Han Joon-soo, allowed a two-run double next to right field.
Despite this, the batters did not give up. They targeted the opposing team's setup men and achieved a reversal victory. After one out, Oh Ji-hwan opened the scoring with a single to center field, and rookie pinch hitter Park Kwan-woo also delivered a single to left field to create opportunities. Park Hae-min targeted the first pitch and hit a game-tying homer over the fence, bringing momentum to the team. They added three more hits and ultimately turned the game around. This was a valuable comeback worth more than a win. While changing one loss into a win was important, it was also significant to lift the team's morale that could have fallen.
Manager Youm noted before the game on the 23rd, "The sky has changed baseball. It was a game that doesn’t come around easily once a year. Both teams' save pitchers collapsed, each with a three-run difference. I realized it when Ko Jong-wook's fluky hit occurred. Hae-min saved himself, saved the team, and saved Yoo Young-chan and Jung-yong," and he applauded them.
Manager Youm particularly recalled the game against KIA on Aug. 16 last year. At that time, they were in pursuit of KIA, who ranked second. Starting pitcher Choi Won-tae had an impressive game, pitching seven scoreless innings. With a 2-0 lead, closer Yoo Young-chan was brought in, but he allowed a walk to Choi Won-jun and gave up a one-run double to Kim Do-young. Following that, after one out, he allowed a two-run homer to Na Sung-beom, and they lost 2-3. The shock was immense, leading to a three-game losing streak and distancing their hopes of reversing to first place.
At that time, there was a four-game gap with KIA. If they had won the first match, they could have taken the second and third as well. While they suffered a three-game losing streak, they faced a crisis of falling to fifth and sixth. Yesterday, the thoughts of last year's game against KIA at Jamsil came rushing back. I felt that a crucial moment would arise again. I thought there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again. Therefore, yesterday was an extremely important game," and he let out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, LG started Park Hae-min (center fielder), Moon Sung-ju (right fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Moon Bo-gyeong (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Cheon Seong-ho (first baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Park Kwan-woo (left fielder), and Gu Bon-hyeok (second baseman) to aim for their third consecutive victory. Shin Min-jae was removed from the lineup due to back pain. Rookie Park Kwan-woo, who laid the groundwork for the comeback the day before, was also utilized as a starting left fielder to continue the momentum.
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