Game Summary
The LG Twins took advantage of a late-inning surge to defeat the visiting Kiwoom Heroes 5-3 on Wednesday night at Jamsil Stadium. Chan-ui Song’s three-run homer in the sixth inning proved to be the decisive blow, lifting the Twins to their fourth win in five games. Despite trailing for most of the contest, LG’s lineup found timely answers when it mattered most, with Austin providing an earlier spark in the fourth and the bullpen closing out the Heroes’ comeback attempts down the stretch.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| LG Twins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
Kiwoom came into the game seeking to snap a losing streak, and their hitters showed some promise early on. Chi-hong Ahn went 3-for-4 with a pair of two-baggers, and Gun-hee Kim drove in a pair of runs. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a middle-relief breakdown that allowed the Twins to break through when it counted most. The Heroes fall to 10th place with their record now standing at 38-2-64, while LG climbs further up the standings.
Pitching Performance
Chan-gyu Lim earned the victory for the Twins, pitching six solid innings while scattering five hits and allowing three runs. The right-hander showed good command, walking just two while striking out four. Though he wasn’t overpowering, Lim made efficient pitches and kept the Heroes’ offense off-balance for most of his appearance.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | ||||||
| An Woo-jin [L] | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Park Jung-hoon | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Won Jong-hyun | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| LG Twins | ||||||
| Im Chan-gyu [W] | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Kim Yun-sik [H] | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kim Jin-su [H] | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Jin-sung [H] | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Son Ju-young [S] | 1 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Woo-jin Ahn took the loss for Kiwoom, lasting six innings himself but surrendering seven hits and four runs, including both home runs. He struck out seven but couldn’t escape trouble when Austin and Song connected. The Heroes’ bullpen tried to limit further damage, with Jung-hoon Park and Jong-hyun Won combining for two innings of relief, but the damage was already done by the time they took over.
The Twins’ bullpen proved its worth in the final three innings. Yun-sik Kim, Jin-su Kim, and Jin-sung Kim combined to retire nine of the last ten Heroes batters, keeping Kiwoom from mounting any serious ninth-inning rally. Ju-young Son earned the save with a 1⅓-inning appearance, striking out two while pitching around a wild pitch in the eighth.
Offensive Highlights
Austin got the Twins rolling first with a solo shot in the fourth inning off Ahn, a no-doubt blast to left field that gave LG their first lead of the night. The veteran slugger finished 2-for-4 and remained one of the team’s most consistent run producers.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiwoom Heroes | |||||
| Ahn Chi-hong | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Gun-hee | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| LG Twins | |||||
| Park Hae-min | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Austin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Song Chan-ui | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Koo Bon-hyuk | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The real fireworks came in the sixth when Song stepped up with runners on first and second and nobody out. His three-run homer to left field turned what looked like a tight ballgame into a more comfortable advantage. The blast was Song’s ninth of the season and proved enough for the final margin.
Kiwoom’s lineup wasn’t entirely shut down. Chi-hong Ahn’s three hits kept the pressure on, and Gun-hee Kim drove in both of the Heroes’ runs with his double in the first inning. Ben Ryu and others had chances but couldn’t string together enough hits to overcome the pitching disadvantage. Hae-min Park collected two hits for the Twins but couldn’t add to the scoring total, while Bon-hyuk Gu went 2-for-3 in a reserve role.
Key Play
There’s little debate about what decided this game. With runners on the corners and the bases loaded in the sixth, Song’s three-run homer with two outs changed everything. It was the go-ahead blast that would ultimately hold up, even as the Heroes kept fighting. The moment represented the difference between two teams heading in opposite directions—one trying to salvage a disappointing season, the other positioning itself for a deeper postseason run.
Standings Impact
The victory improved the Twins to 55-1-45, keeping them firmly in third place and within striking distance of the league leaders. For the Heroes, the loss drops them further down the standings at 38-2-64. The thirteen-game difference in the win column tells the story of how far apart these two franchises sit as July winds down and the stretch run takes shape.