The LG Twins are set to face the Hanwha Eagles in a weekend series at Jamsil Stadium, followed by a crucial series against the Samsung Lions. This challenging stretch marks the end of the first half of the season, and manager Yeom Kyung-yeop has expressed his concerns, particularly regarding their upcoming opponents.
Yeom Kyung-yeop Identifies Kiwoom Heroes as Toughest Opponent
When asked about the difficulty of the upcoming schedule, Yeom Kyung-yeop stated, “Kiwoom is much tougher. In my opinion, the strongest team is Kiwoom. Our games against them are never easy.” He elaborated that their victories against the Heroes are rarely straightforward, often involving late comebacks or close contests where the team gives up unnecessary runs.
“It’s not like we win games easily, or come from behind to secure comfortable victories,” Yeom explained. “Just when it seems like we’re heading for an easy win, we somehow give up runs. It’s strange, but games against Kiwoom always seem to be complicated. This has been the case for three years now. While other teams rack up wins, we struggle to get victories against Kiwoom.”
Pitching Matchups and Hitting Struggles Against Kiwoom
The manager further detailed the challenges, noting that when facing Kiwoom, their top three starting pitchers are often involved. “Fortunately, Ha Young-min was out for this series,” Yeom said, referring to a recent matchup. “If he had been playing, it would have been their first, second, and third starters. Our hitters just can’t seem to connect with Ha Young-min’s pitches.”
Historically, the LG Twins have had a mixed record against the Kiwoom Heroes. Last year, they secured a 9-7 record. However, in 2024, the tide turned, with LG falling to a 6-10 record against them. In Yeom Kyung-yeop’s first year as LG manager in 2023, the team dominated with an 11-1-4 record against the Heroes, highlighting a significant shift in their performance against this particular opponent.
Close Games and Comebacks Against the Heroes
Despite the overall standings, with LG often at the top and Kiwoom near the bottom, their matchups are consistently tight and difficult. This season, LG holds a 6-3 advantage, but these wins have largely been hard-fought.
Several games this season exemplify this trend:
- On April 4th, LG trailed 1-4 against Kiwoom in the 8th inning but scored four runs to secure a comeback victory.
- On May 24th, in a Jamsil game, LG was down 3-4 in the bottom of the 9th with two outs. Two runners got on base, and Park Hae-min hit a dramatic walk-off three-run homer to win the game.
- In a July 1st game, Dae-ta Cheon Seong-ho’s timely hit in the 8th inning with two outs provided the go-ahead run for LG.
- On July 2nd, after a pitching duel, LG broke the tie in the 6th inning to lead 6-5 and added an insurance run in the 9th for a 7-5 victory.
Yeom Kyung-yeop reflected on these close contests: “After their starter leaves the game, we often find ourselves in a similar situation, only to come back and win in the middle innings. We don’t win the early pitching battles, but if we manage to take the lead, we tend to make mistakes or give up runs. Most of our wins against them this year have been comebacks or decided by a single run.”
He concluded with a smile, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of baseball: “Baseball is a sport with a lot of matchups, which is why it’s so difficult. Isn’t baseball the only sport where the last-place team can beat the first-place team?”
