Now just two games away from winning the Korean Series, LG Twins manager Yoon Kyung-yeop reflected on the key factors in Game 3 and vowed to go all-out in Game 4.
The LG Twins won Game 3 of the best-of-five Korean Series (KS-7) against the KT Wiz in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, on Tuesday, 8-7, thanks to Oh Ji-hwan’s dramatic game-winning three-run shot in the top of the ninth inning after his team trailed 5-7.
It’s been an epic Korean Series. Each game has been decided by one run. LG lost Game 1 of the Korean Series when Ko Woo-seok collapsed in the ninth inning, but won Game 2 on a dramatic come-from-behind two-run shot by Park Dong-won in the eighth inning, and took Game 3 on the same day to take a commanding lead.
In the history of the KBO Korean Series, the first team to win the second game after a 1-1 (including a tie) has a winning percentage of 85 percent (17 of 20). LG is looking to win its third Korean Series title in franchise history, 29 years after the last one in 1994. KT is looking to win its first Korean Series title in two years since 2021.
LG will now look to make it three in a row in Game 4 at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the same venue. Kim Yun-sik will start for LG and Uhm Sang-baek will start for KT.
On the day, LG hit three home runs at crucial moments to win the game. In the top of the third inning, Austin Dean hit a three-run arch off KT starter Wes Benjamin.
KT didn’t go down without a fight. In the bottom of the inning, Choi Jae-dae led off with a walk and Kim Sang-soo followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Hwang Jae-gyun followed with a double to left field, bringing home Choi and making the score 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, KT capitalized on LG’s bullpen. One out later, Park Byung-ho recorded his first hit of the Korean Series against LG’s reliever Jung Woo-young. It was Park’s first hit in 11 at-bats in this year’s Korean Series. Jang Sung-woo followed with a grounder to shortstop, but LG shortstop Oh Ji-hwan made a mistake by letting the bound ball slip past him, putting runners on first and second and third. After pinch-hitter Kim Min-hyuk singled against reliever Ham Deok-joo, Alford followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 3-3. Against LG’s new pitcher, Baek Seung-hyun, Lee Ho-yeon sprinted home on a grounder to third base and narrowly threw out Kim Min-hyuk, who tried to slide, but Cho Seok-ho singled to center field to finally take the lead.
However, the day’s action was just beginning. In the top of the sixth, Moon Bo-kyung led off with a single to left, prompting Lee Kang-chul to take the mound and replace Benjamin with Son Dong-hyun. Park Dong-won then took advantage of Son’s 145-kilometer fastball for his second consecutive game-winning double in the Korean Series. The score was 5-4.
LG quickly sent closer Go Woo-seok to the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning. Against him, Cho Jae-dae led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored the tying run on Hwang Jae-gyun’s RBI double. KT’s No. 4 hitter, Park Byung-ho, then pulled a low 152-kilometer fastball from Go Woo-seok for a two-run arch to left field to tie the game again. With the score again at 7-5, KT seemed to be on the verge of victory.
The top of the ninth inning ensued. But LG didn’t give up until the end. KT brought up closer Kim Jae-yoon, and despite giving up an infield single to leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki, he walked Park Hae-min and Kim Hyun-soo. Two outs. Only one out to win. Austin drew a seven-pitch walk to keep the flame alive, and captain Oh Ji-hwan became the hero by hitting a 145-kilometer fastball from Kim Jae-yoon for a comeback three-run shot. In the bottom of the ninth, the defense threatened with the bases loaded, but Lee Jung-yong, who replaced Ko Woo-seok on the mound, struck out Kim Sang-soo to end the game.
“It wasn’t an easy game with Benjamin (KT’s starting pitcher), but Austin’s home run helped us turn the tide of the game in our favor,” manager Yoon Kyung-yup told reporters after the game. The game became difficult because we didn’t play good defense. We gave up some big runs and made it a tough game. Our hitters came out swinging in game two. Oh Ji-hwan hit the decisive three-run shot. It was a little difficult for Go Woo-seok, but Lee Jung-yong made a good finish and took the pressure off him. With a good finish, I think Go Woo-seok will have a little less pressure in the next match. I think we will be able to play with the overall team atmosphere at a higher level.”
Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop explained why Go Woo-seok, the ‘KBO’s strongest closer,’ was brought up in the eighth inning when Lee Jung-yong was warmed up in the seventh. I thought about putting Go Woo-seok up first, and if he had a lot of pitches, I would go to (Lee) Jung-yong. I thought it was more important to close out the eighth inning. It was the top of the order, and the timing was right for the connection. So I struggled with Go Woo-seok’s pitches, which weren’t bad, but I couldn’t get them to be accurate. I think he will definitely get better as he plays more games,” he said.
Since the first game of the Korean Series, Yeom Kyung-yeop has been hoarse in his postgame interviews. Before the game, he said, “Unlike the pennant race, I was looking forward to the same fight as the players, and my throat cleared up.”
“The most important thing is that we managed the pitch count well,” said Yoon Kyung-yeop, who used up a lot of his bullpen. Yoo Young-chan could be tired after going two innings for the second game in a row, but everyone is fine to pitch tomorrow except Yoo Young-chan. Yoo should be fine for one inning if the situation calls for it. In Game 4, we managed our pitch count, so all of our pitchers are ready to go.
When asked about the opponent’s preparation at the plate, Yeom said, “It’s unavoidable. If the opponent throws accurately, it’s a stolen base. We will always look at the situation and move when we need to steal a base. The most important thing is that our players are confident after winning the second game. They are focused on the game, passionate and desperate to win. That’s why I think that urgency helped us win today’s game as well.” 아톰카지노 주소
As for what he didn’t like about the game, Yeom said, “Overall, I feel like we were in a hurry. In the case of Oh Ji-hwan, if the runner was Jang Sung-woo, he could have taken a step back and handled it. The players are so passionate and there is something about winning. I think my job is to keep them calm and prepare for the next game where we have something to play for.
As for the decision to start Kim Yun-sik, Yeom Kyung-yup said, “The coaching staff is not bad. That’s why I thought of him as a starter for Game 4. The overall evaluation is not bad,” he said, showing his trust.
On the other hand, Lee Kang-cheol, the head coach of ‘Patjang’, said, “The players played a good game. I think it was a game like that,” he said. When asked about his ejection in the ninth inning, he said, “I made a mistake, so I would have been ejected.” Lee Kang-cheol commented on the resurgence of Park Byung-ho and Alford, saying, “The bats tend to come alive as a whole. We will prepare well and do well tomorrow.” When asked if he would use Lee Sang-dong in the bullpen in the future, Lee replied, “I’m thinking about it.”
