Seoul: The LG Twins secured a decisive 5-1 victory over the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Wednesday, marking their second consecutive win against their Seoul rivals. The Twins' offensive lineup ignited early, scoring four runs in the first inning and maintaining their composure to seal the win.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Twins improved their record to 66-51-1, maintaining their hold on third place in the league standings. Meanwhile, the Bears, who now stand at 61-54-4, remain in fifth place. A crowd of 20,274 gathered at Jamsil Baseball Stadium to witness the intense rivalry, as the Twins launched an aggressive assault on Bears starter Choi Seung-yong right from the start.
In the top of the first inning, the Twins quickly put pressure on the Bears, with a single and a double setting the stage for Moon Bo-gyeong, who drove in two runners with a single to center field. Choi allowed two additional singles, loading the bases for Park Dong-won, who delivered a powerful infield hit off third baseman An Jae-seok. The ball ricocheted into foul territory, allowing two more runners to score and giving the Twins a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Bears attempted a comeback in the bottom of the first, but Twins starter Kim Yun-sik held firm, stranding two runners. Although Choi managed to regain his composure and retire seven consecutive batters following the first inning, the Bears managed to score a run in the third. Park Chan-ho's leadoff walk and advancement to third on a flyout set the stage for Park Jun-soon's single to right, bringing Park home and knocking Kim out of the game.
Despite opportunities to close the gap, the Bears failed to capitalize, notably in the fourth inning when Park Chan-ho flied out with runners at second and third. In the seventh, Bears' hopes were dashed as Park Jun-soon hit into an inning-ending double play after two consecutive singles.
Adding to the Twins' lead, Moon Jeong-bin launched a solo home run in the eighth off reliever Park Chi-guk, sending the ball 130 meters into the right-center field seats. This home run marked Moon's 16th of the season, further highlighting his breakout performance. Moon expressed his satisfaction with both his personal achievement and the team's victory, hoping this performance would reignite his momentum.
Choi, despite the rough start, managed to hold the Twins hitless over the next three innings, while five relievers limited the Twins to one run on three hits. However, the Bears' offense struggled once again, mirroring their previous game with just one run scored.
Kim Jin-su earned the win for the Twins, contributing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief work. The Twins' victory underscores their strong form as they continue to vie for top positions in the KBO standings.