LG and Samsung will meet for the first time in 22 years since KS in 2002.' KT's rebellion ended with three starters: Lim Chan-gyu, Son Joo-young, and Hernandez. LG won 4 to 1. 3 wins and 2 losses and advance to PO.
Oct 11, 2024
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LG beat KT Wiz to win a ticket to Daegu. LG won 4-1 in Game 5 of the semi-playoff against KT held at Jamsil Stadium on the 11th, confirming its advance to the playoffs with 3 wins and 2 losses in the series.
Starter Lim Chan-kyu led the team to victory again following Game 2 with one run in six innings, and Son Joo-young, the main player of Game 3's victory, stopped two scoreless innings, and Hernandez took the mound in the top of the ninth inning and made another save to create a victory with three starters.
After a day off, LG will try to advance to the Korean Series through the playoff of the best-of-five series with the Samsung Lions, the second-ranked team in the regular league, from the 13th.
It is the first time in 26 years that LG and Samsung have played in the playoffs. LG and Samsung have played in the playoffs three times in history. It was all in the 90s. LG twice and Samsung once advanced to the Korean Series.
In 1993, second-ranked Samsung beat LG, who won the semi-playoff in fourth place, with 3 wins and 2 losses, and in 1997, LG, who was second, beat Samsung, who came up through the semi-playoff in fourth place, with 3 wins and 2 losses to reach the Korean Series. We met again in 1998. LG, which beat OB with two consecutive wins in the semi-playoff in third place, advanced to the Korean Series by beating second-place Samsung with three wins and one loss.
The most recent postseason in which the two teams met was the 2002 Korean Series, in which Samsung, which was ranked first in the regular league, won the semi-PO and the PO with 4 wins and 2 losses, beating LG, which had won the semi-PO and PO in fourth place.
KT, which broke 0% of the probability with its first-ever win against the Doosan Bears in the wild-card game, again challenged the team to break the 0% probability that the team that lost Game 3 was eliminated six times in 1 win and 1 loss, but knelt down in Game 5 and ended the autumn miracle race.
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KT made the starting lineup with Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Rojas (right fielder), Jang Seong-woo (catcher), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Oh Jae-il (first baseman), Bae Jung-dae (center fielder), Oh Yoon-seok (second baseman), and Shim Woo-jun (striker). In the second game against Lim Chan-kyu, Moon Sang-chul was used, but the difference is that Oh Jae-il was scored this time. KT manager Lee Kang-chul explained "I put Moon Sang-chul behind me because I thought Son Joo-young would come in."
As it was a big game, the first point was important, but LG scored two points from the first inning with its offense exploding. After one out, Shin Min-jae hit a left-handed hit, and Austin scored the first run with an RBI double to right-center. Oh Ji-hwan struck out swinging, but Kim Hyun-soo hit a home run RBI double. I was wondering whether he crossed the right fence and returned to the ground or was hit by a yellow home run bar on the fence, but the video reading confirmed that he bounced off the home run bar.
KT immediately fought back in the top of the second inning, but LG's defense was solid. Leading Kang Baek-ho hit a strong double to the right, and Kang Baek-ho ran to second base. However, LG right fielder Hong Chang-ki caught the ball that hit the fence and threw it hard to second base, and tagged out. It was a moment when the true value of the first winner of last year's KBO Defense Award shone.
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During Austin's at-bat, Shin Min-jae attempted to steal second base, and Jang Sung-woo's throw fell toward center field, making it one out and third base. Shin Min-jae set a new record for the most stolen bases in the semi-PO with five stolen bases.
Then he hit a sacrifice fly in front of Austin's left fence, 3-0.
KT starter Um Sang-baek, who was a losing pitcher in Game 2, vowed to avenge himself in Game 5, but he became another losing pitcher with four hits and three runs (two earned runs) in two innings.
With Lim Chan-kyu's good pitching, LG took another opportunity in the bottom of the fourth inning. After one death, Moon Bo-kyung hit a heavy hit. The first hit to break 16 consecutive at-bats this series. When Son Dong-hyun threw two consecutive balls at Park Dong-won's at-bat, the pitcher was replaced by Cho Hyung-joon again. Park Dong-won drew a walk to become a first and second base with one out, and Park Hae-min's ground ball in front of the second base led to a chance with two outs and runners on the first and third bases, but Moon Sung-joo stepped down with a ground ball in front of the second base, failing to score additional points.
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KT, which was blocked by Lim Chan-kyu until the sixth inning, finally had its first opportunity to score in the top of the seventh inning.
Leading Jang Sung-woo got on base with a left-handed hit, followed by Kang Baek-ho, who drew a walk after a full count match to make the first and second bases with no outs. LG made a decision. I lowered Lim Chan-gyu and raised Son Joo-young.
But Son Joo-young's control was shaken. Hwang Jae-gyun walked out and loaded the bases with no outs.
At Oh Jae-il's at-bat, manager Lee Kang-chul raised Kim Sang-soo as a pinch hitter. However, he struck out swinging on a high fastball. The allocation team seemed to cross Austin, the first baseman, with a high ball bound. But Austin catches him and throws him to second base. Third baseman Jang Sung-woo homered and 1-3. With two outs and runners on the first and third bases, Oh Yoon-seok struck out swinging, stopping the chase.
LG scored an additional point when they were chased by two points. Park Hae-min hit a right-handed hit and stole second base after one out against Ko Young-pyo. Catcher Jang Sung-woo's throw went one-bound, and as it fell back, Park Hae-min went to third base, and Moon Sung-joo's left-handed hit came out immediately, and with Hong Chang-ki's inner grounder to the third base on Kim Dae-won's second base steal, Shin Min-jae's grounder to the first base seemed to be a foul, but first baseman Oh Yoon-seok ran out to catch it, seemed to catch it, and then hit the glove and bounced into the foul area. Shin Min-jae didn't run because he thought it was a foul, but the first base referee declared a fair, and Oh Yoon-seok stepped on the first base and was declared out, ending the inning.
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Lim Chan-kyu won, Son Joo-young made holds and Hernandez made saves, and the game proceeded according to LG's best scenario and won.
Hernandez became the first foreign pitcher to take the mound in all five semi-PO games. He played one inning in Game 5 to save, and in this series, he pitched 117 pitches in seven ⅓ innings in five games, emerging as LG's guardian deity with two saves and one hold.
LG's continued bullying of KT's defense with 13 stolen bases in this series eventually led to victory. Aggressive stolen bases in the third and seventh innings also created additional points.
KT felt sorry that starting pitcher Um Sang-baek collapsed too quickly. Since then, Son Dong-hyun, Cho Hyung-joon and Ko Young-pyo have been put in to block LG's batters with all their strength, but KT's batters did not explode in the end, ending the 0% miracle.
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indyk@sportschosun.com
