Twins stomp Giants to seal 4th spot of KBO League
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Players for the LG Twins celebrate their win after their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Oct. 3. The fourth-place Twins will have a wildcard round, the first round of the playoff, with fifth-place Kia Tigers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
The LG Twins held on to fourth spot in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) after defeating the Lotte Giants 4-1, Thursday. With the win, the Seoul-based team will host the league’s wildcard game against the fifth-placed Kia Tigers next week, regardless of a win or loss in the remaining game.
In the KBO’s step-ladder postseason system, the fourth and the fifth teams have a two-game wildcard round after the season ends. To give an advantage to the fourth-ranked team, it needs to win only one game to advance while the No. 5 team must win both.
At Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, the Twins started their Dominican right-hander Henry Sosa in their last game against the Giants. While throwing five and 1/3 innings, Sosa threw hard, allowing six hits, one walk and one run. With the win, the 31-year-old took his 10th victory of the season.
It was the Giants who scored the first run of the game. In the bottom of the third inning, with the first and second bases loaded, Jeon Jun-woo made a hit for a 1-0 lead.
Though the Twins’ hitters had tough times in early innings against the Giants’ starter Noh Kyung-eun, they crushed him in the top of the fifth inning as Noh gave four consecutive hits, allowing three runs. After allowing five hits, five walks and three runs in four and 2/3 innings, Noh earned his 12th loss of the season.
To seal the victory, the Twins worked their closer Lim Jung-woo in the bottom of the eighth, with a runner on second and one down. Lim finished the inning after striking out the Giants’ third baseman, Hwang Jae-gyun, and having a ground ball out from first baseman Park Jong-yoon. The pitcher worked a one-two-three in the ninth for his 28th save of the season.
With the victory, the Twins had 71 wins, two draws and 70 losses to lock down fourth spot and hold a 1.5-game lead over the Tigers, who lost to the Samsung Lions 4-3 in Gwangju. With the defeat, the Tigers placed fifth with 70 wins, one draw and 72 losses.
In Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the second-placed NC Dinos earned their 83rd win (three draws and 56 losses) after beating the sixth-placed SK Wyverns 4-2. The game was over in two hours and 16 minutes, the shortest complete game of the season.
The KBO League will wrap up its 144-game season Saturday and will enter the postseason, with the wildcard round taking place at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Oct. 10.