KBO Recap: LG Twins 4-3 Samsung Lions | September 12 Highlights & Scores

Game Summary

The LG Twins pulled off a thrilling comeback victory against the Samsung Lions on Friday night, winning 4-3 in a contest that came down to the final inning. Playing at Samsung’s home stadium, the Twins scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning thanks to a clutch two-out, bases-loaded grounder from Chan-ui Song that scored the winning run. It was an emotional finish to a game that had shifted momentum several times, with Samsung appearing to have control through much of the middle innings before LG’s bats heated up late.

Pitching Performance

LG’s pitching staff held up reasonably well despite some early struggles, with starter Tolhurst lasting five and one-third innings while allowing seven hits and two earned runs. The foreign pitcher struck out three but walked nobody, setting a decent foundation for what would become a bullpen-driven finish. Gou Seok took the win with a solid one and two-thirds innings of relief, surrendering just two hits without allowing any runs. Kennedy pitched a clean eighth, and Sun Joo-young earned the save by pitching the ninth inning with a strikeout.

Samsung’s Frado was effective for six innings, giving up nine hits but limiting the damage to two runs. However, the Lions’ pitching collapsed in the crucial moments. Lee Seung-min, who entered the game with a solid 5-2 record, couldn’t get out of the eighth inning and took the loss after allowing two runs on one hit and a walk in just one-third of an inning. The late-game meltdown proved costly for Samsung’s pennant hopes.

Offensive Highlights

Austin drove in three runs for the Twins, including two home runs that proved decisive. His thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth home runs of the season came off Frado in the third and fifth innings respectively, putting LG ahead at crucial junctures. Ha-min Park went two-for-five while maintaining his steady presence in the lineup. Sung-ho Cheon and Ben Ryu also contributed two hits apiece, helping the Twins maintain offensive pressure throughout the game.

Min-ho Kang was the story on Samsung’s side, going four-for-four with a home run and two RBIs. His eleventh home run of the year came in the second inning off Tolhurst and accounted for two runs, keeping the Lions competitive. It was a nearly perfect night at the plate for the Lions’ star, yet it ultimately wasn’t enough to overcome the late-inning developments that worked in LG’s favor.

Key Play of the Game

The pivotal moment arrived in the eighth inning when Chan-ui Song stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The LG third baseman made solid contact on an 0-1 pitch and drove a grounder to third base. What could have ended the inning instead became the game-winning moment as Samsung’s third baseman couldn’t turn the play into an out, allowing the winning run to score. Song had also tripled in the fifth inning, showing he was locked in at the plate when it mattered most.

Standings Impact

The victory pushes the LG Twins to 69 wins, 1 draw, and 55 losses, keeping their playoff hopes alive in a crowded third-place position. Samsung, meanwhile, stays at 74 wins but falls further behind in what has been a tightly contested pennant race. With the season entering its final weeks, every game carries enormous weight, and Friday’s result shows how quickly momentum can swing in either direction. The Lions remain in second place but will need to refocus quickly if they hope to maintain their position heading into the stretch run.