Busan: The LG Twins secured a narrow 2-1 victory over the Lotte Giants in a Korea Baseball Organization matchup that was cut short due to heavy rain. The match, held in Busan's Sajik Baseball Stadium, was called off after a 47-minute rain delay when the field became unplayable following the end of the bottom of the seventh inning.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decisive moment came in the seventh inning with Cheon Seong-ho's RBI double, which put the Twins ahead. Starting pitcher Anders Tolhurst delivered a strong performance for the Twins, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing just one run. He struck out six batters, improving his season record to 6-3 and lowering his ERA from 3.72 to 3.44.
With this victory, the Twins extended their winning streak to three games, improving their season record to 29-19-0. This win placed them just half a game behind the first-place Samsung Lions, whose game was also postponed due to rain. Meanwhile, the Giants' loss dropped them to 19-27-1, maintaining their position in eighth place in the standings.
The Twins took an early lead in the second inning with Park Dong-won's solo home run off Giants' starter Jeremy Beasley. This was Park's third home run of the season and one of the few given up by Beasley, who has allowed only three home runs in 48 2/3 innings this season.
The Giants managed to level the score in the third inning. Jang Du-seong led off with a single and eventually scored on an infield single by Go Seung-min after advancing to third base. Despite this, both pitchers managed to keep hits at bay for most of the game, with Beasley striking out seven batters after the home run and Tolhurst receiving strong defensive support.
The Twins finally broke the tie in the seventh inning. After Oh Ji-hwan drew a leadoff walk, Cheon Seong-ho's hit down the third base line allowed Oh to score from first base, giving the Twins a 2-1 lead. The Giants attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh but could not capitalize before the game was suspended due to rain.
Ultimately, the persistent rain led officials to call off the game at 9:17 p.m., cementing the Twins' win.