LG Twins won the season finale 2-1 against SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on September 21. It was a day for foreign pitchers and hitters. LG won all three games against SSG over the past two days on April 16 and 17 (doubleheader).
LG’s batting order was Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Austin Dean (first baseman), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-joo (left fielder), and Park Hae-min (center fielder).
SSG’s batting order was Choo Shin-soo (designated hitter), Heredia (left fielder), Choi Jung (third baseman), Han Yu-seom (right fielder), Park Sung-sung (shortstop), Choi Ju-hwan (first baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Kim Min-sik (catcher), and Ahn Sang-hyun (second baseman).
Austin struck first with a home run in the first inning. In the first inning, Hong Chang-ki drew a walk against SSG starter Song Young-jin. After Shin Min-jae grounded out to the second baseman and Kim Hyun-soo struck out, Austin smashed a two-run home run over the center field wall.
It was Austin’s 20th home run of the season. It is the first time in three years that an LG foreign hitter has hit 20 home runs since Roberto Ramos (38) in 2020. The previous one was Jimenez (26) in 2016. In 2009, it was Pettitte (28).
The starting foreign pitcher, Casey Kelly, struggled against SSG on April 16, giving up four runs in 5⅓ innings. But today was different.
After striking out leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo in the first inning, she got off to a good start by getting Heredia to ground out to the pitcher and Choi to fly out.
In the second inning, he gave up a leadoff single to Park Sung-hyun, got Choi Joo-hwan to fly out to right field, and then gave up a single to right-center to Choi Ji-hoon. But he struck out Kim Min-sik to end the threat.
He added a strikeout in the third to make it a three-hitter and pitched a scoreless sixth inning with four hits and five strikeouts.
Austin and Kelly’s performances gave LG a 2-0 lead.
Shaky bullpen after Kelly, SSG misses out on seventh inning opportunity
SSG had a chance in the seventh inning. The first batter, Han Yoo-seom, led off with an infield single against reliever Kim Jin-sung. After Park Sung-hwan singled to right field, Choi Joo-hwan drew a walk to put runners on first and second.
Choi Ji-hoon flied out to left field, but Ha Jae-hoon, pinch-hitting for Kim Min-sik, also drew a walk to load the bases. SSG then brought up Choi Jun-woo for Kim Sung-hyun, but he struck out. A chance to at least tie the game was lost. 카지노사이트
Kim Won-hyung ejected, what happened in the 8th inning?
Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the first batter, Choo Shin-soo, singled to left field and Heredia drew a walk. Choi then doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third.
Han Yoo-seom drew a walk to load the bases, and Park Sung-sung sent a pitch up the first base foul line. The ball bounced off LG first baseman Kim Min-sung’s mitt and landed on the body of first base umpire Woo Hyo-dong.
From this point on, it was a problem. It had to be called fair. If it hit the first baseman’s glove, it was a fair. SSG third baseman Heredia had already crossed home plate. After a video review, the umpires declared it fair, and Heredia’s run was allowed.
However, Han Yoo-seom was called out. Manager Kim Won-hyung stormed out of the dugout and loudly protested. The pinch hitter Park Sung-hyung ran to first base, and Han Yoo-seom ran to second base after stepping on the first base base again due to the ambiguous call of the first base umpire. In this situation, the umpires called an out.
Manager Kim Won-hyung protested long and hard, but the call was not changed. Park Sung-hwan’s pitch was twisted from the moment it hit Woo Hyo-dong’s body at first base. It wasn’t intentional, but it could have been a double down the right field line. It was a double, so at least the chance to tie the game was lost.
