‘KT batting shutout’ LG sweeps doubleheader! 80 wins to reach ‘magic number 6’
The first-place LG Twins swept both games of a doubleheader against the second-place KT Wiz, reducing their magic number to six on their way to the regular season title. That’s three magic numbers in one day.
LG swept a doubleheader against the KT Wiz in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Sunday, taking game one 4-0 and game two 3-0 to extend its winning streak to four games. By taking both games of the doubleheader, LG reduced the magic number of regular-season wins by three, as the NC Dinos lost the second game of the doubleheader to the KIA Tigers, making the magic number ‘6’. KT, on the other hand, quickly dropped its second straight game to fall to 73-38.
KT’s starting lineup for Game 2: Choi Sung-ho (right fielder), Lee Ho-yeon (first baseman), Alford (left fielder), Jang Jang-woo (designated hitter), Choi Jae-dae (center fielder), Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), Park Kyung-soo (second baseman), Jang Jun-won (third baseman), and Kang Hyun-woo (catcher). Starting pitcher exclusions.
LG Game 2 starting lineup: Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Austin (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Kim Min-sung (third baseman), Lee Jae-won (left fielder), Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Heo Do-hwan (catcher). Starting pitcher Kim Yun-sik.
The first inning was 0-0 with neither team scoring. In the top of the first, Kim Yoon-sik was retired on a grounder to shortstop, Lee Ho-yeon singled and advanced to third on Alford’s grounder, but Jang Sung-woo was thrown out at second base. LG’s leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki singled to center, but Park Hae-min flied out to center field and Kim Hyun-soo grounded out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, an unexpected change occurred. Austin led off the inning with an infield single in front of the pitcher, but Yeo Yoo-seong, who caught the ball, grabbed his shin. The ball sailed wide of first base and Austin advanced to third. Lee got back up and continued to pitch, but gave up a run on a sacrifice fly by Oh Ji-hwan, and eventually gave way to Lee Sang-dong after getting Kim Min-sung to fly out to center field.
After a scoreless inning, LG scored two more runs and took the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Son Dong-hyun took the mound for KT. After one out, Lee Jae-won led off with a walk, and after pinch-hitter Shin Min-jae stole second, he reached third on a catcher’s error. Heo Do-hwan followed with a double to center field, bringing home Shin Min-jae. The score was 2-0.
Heo Do-hwan was replaced by Moon Sung-joo, and after Hong Chang-ki walked on a seven-pitch pitch to put runners on first and second, Park Hae-min singled to drive in Moon, giving ELG a 3-0 lead. Park Hae-min stole second and third, but Kim Hyun-soo struck out swinging to end the inning.
KT had a chance to tie the game in the top of the eighth against Park Myung-geun, who started the inning in the seventh, when Kim Jun-tae singled, Ahn Chi-young reached on an error by the second baseman, and Lee Ho-yeon singled to right. But after a pitching change to Kim Jin-sung, Alford struck out swinging and Jang Sung-woo was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
with the bases loaded. Yoo Young-chan got the leadoff man to ground out to second, gave up a single to Kim Sang-soo, but after a nine-pitch battle with Park Kyung-soo, got him back with a foul fly to third. He then gave up a walk to Park Byung-ho to put runners on first and second, but got Hwang Jae-gyun to fly out to end the inning and preserve the win 스포츠토토.
Kim Yun-sik pitched five innings of two-hit ball with one strikeout to earn his sixth win of the season. Lee Ji-gang (1 inning), Park Myung-geun (1⅓ innings), and Kim Jin-seong (⅔ innings) closed the door with scoreless innings to complete the win. At the plate, Hong Chang-ki had two hits and Park Hae-min, Oh Ji-hwan, and Heo Do-hwan each had one.
KT minimized the damage to two runs in the remaining innings after Lee Jeong-seong allowed one run (unearned) in 1⅔ innings, with Lee Sang-dong (2⅓ innings), Son Dong-hyun (1 inning), Lee Chae-ho (2 innings), and Kim Jae-yoon (1 inning) coming in and minimizing the damage to two runs in the second game. The KT bats, which managed just seven hits in game one, were lethargic in game two with only five hits. Lee Ho-yeon stood out with three hits, but he was not enough to secure the win.