LG Twins’ ace pitcher delivered a strong performance to secure his first win of the season, navigating a dramatic stretch of three consecutive home runs en route to a convincing 7-2 victory over KIA at Jamsil Stadium on April 1.
Early Offensive Surge Sets the Tone
LG jumped ahead quickly in the first inning, capitalizing on two walks from KIA’s starting pitcher and plating three runs with a series of timely hits. After Shin Min-jae and Austin connected with consecutive singles, Park Dong-won’s RBI single extended the lead. Moon Sung-ju followed with a bases-loaded walk, forcing in another run to make it 3-0.
The Twins maintained momentum into the second inning. Despite a changeup double by KIA’s Oh Ji-hwan, LG starter quickly induced a double play and struck out the side in the first. In the second, he added a sacrifice fly to score one more, pushing the advantage to 4-0.
Pitching Through Adversity
The starter dominated early, tossing 4 1/3 innings with 82 pitches, allowing four hits including one home run, one walk, four strikeouts, and one wild pitch. Ahead 3-1 entering the fifth, he issued a leadoff walk but the bullpen stepped up seamlessly.
Reliever Kim Jin-seong entered and doubled up Kim Ho-ryeong before stranding runners in the second and third. Jang Hyun-sik, Ham Deok-ju, U Kang-hoon, and Yu Yeong-chan followed with scoreless frames, preserving the lead. U Kang-hoon impressed in his debut major league hold.
LG added insurance in the sixth with Austin’s sacrifice fly RBI single and three more in the eighth. In the ninth, closer Bae Jae-jun worked around a walk, and Yu Yeong-chan doubled home the final run for his first save.
Manager Yeom Praises Bullpen Depth
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop highlighted the starter’s resilience post-game: “He threw exactly 80 pitches without major issues.” He credited the bullpen for the win, noting, “The relievers handled their situations well, including Kim Jin-seong, Jang Hyun-sik, Ham Deok-ju, U Kang-hoon, and Yu Yeong-chan. U Kang-hoon’s debut first hold was outstanding.”
Yeom added, “After the first three runs, no additional tallies came until the late innings thanks to timely hitting from Austin, Hong Chang-ki, and Park Dong-won.” On fan support, he said, “To get the first win now, we’ve come a long way. We gathered the pitchers, avoided consecutive hits in the cheering section, and have the depth to keep connecting hits for fans. We’ll deliver even better games ahead.”
