Twins manager points to unlikely homer by veteran as key to Korean Series win
LG Twins starting pitcher Anders Tolhurst throws a pitch at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb said Sunday a home run from the unlikeliest of sources was the big key to his team's opening win in the South Korean baseball championship series.
The Twins defeated the Hanwha Eagles 8-2 in Game 1 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. They had seven hits, including a team-high three by No. 2 hitter Shin Min-jae, but it was a solo home run by No. 9 hitter Park Hae-min in the bottom fifth that Youm said made the big difference.
It was only Park's third home run in 31 postseason games. He went deep only three times in 144 regular-season games this year, too. The solo blast in Sunday's game gave the Twins a 3-0 lead, which Youm said allowed the team to breathe a bit easier.
"Hae-min's home run in the fifth was really important. We needed some add-on runs at that point, and he lifted some pressure off the rest of the lineup," Youm said. "I didn't see that home run coming."
Park, one of the top defensive outfielders in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), made a spectacular running grab in center in the top of the first, but Youm said, "I liked the home run more."
"I think this win will give us some confidence for the rest of the series," the manager added.
As for the opportunistic offense that scored eight times on seven hits and six walks, Youm said, "We put in a lot of work analyzing opposing pitchers, and the bats came through at crucial moments."
Youm revealed that he had to make a last-minute change to his Game 2 starter. Yonny Chirinos had been set to start that game Monday night, but he was pushed back after waking up Saturday with a spasm on his side. Youm said the problem is not serious and he could be ready for either Game 3 or Game 4.
Homegrown right-hander Im Chan-kyu will get the ball instead.
Eagles skipper Kim Kyung-moon rued the six walks issued by his pitchers in the loss and noted that the Twins, the 2023 Korean Series champions, played like the experienced group that they are.
"They played a tidy game like the team that recently won a title," Kim said. "I hope our hitters will step up in tomorrow's game. We will try to make sure we will have a different outcome in tomorrow's game."
The Twins rested for over three weeks to get ready for the Korean Series after earning a bye, while the Eagles survived a five-game battle against the Samsung Lions in the previous series to get to this point. But Kim didn't want to make any excuses.
"The players might be fatigued, but that really shouldn't be an excuse when you're in the Korean Series," Kim added. "We only have a few games left in the year, and we will try to make sure fatigue won't be an issue for us going forward."