The LG Twins defeated the SSG Landers 8-7 in a slugfest, reclaiming second place in the league just one day after losing the spot.
LG beat SSG in a 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League away game held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on Wednesday. With the score tied 7-7 in the top of the ninth with one out and the bases loaded, Hong Chang-ki drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the winning run.
LG starter Yony Chirinos delivered a steady performance, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk with one strikeout over five innings. In his second start since returning from elbow soreness, he showed solid command, raising expectations for his next outing.
SSG starter Hiramoto Ginjiro, by contrast, recorded seven strikeouts but gave up six hits, four walks and three runs over four innings. While his strikeout ability stood out, frequent baserunners exposed his shakiness.
LG drew first blood in the top of the second on consecutive hits by Park Dong-won, Mun Jeong-bin and Lee Jae-won, followed by a sacrifice fly from Shin Min-jae to take a 2-0 lead.
Leading 3-1 in the top of the fifth, LG extended the gap to 5-1 on a solo home run by Park Dong-won and a bases-loaded walk by Hong Chang-ki.
SSG, however, refused to fold. The Landers chased back with an RBI single by Choi Jeong and a sacrifice fly by Guillermo Heredia in the bottom of the sixth, before LG pulled away again to 7-3 on Oh Ji-hwan's two-run single in the top of the eighth.
The game swung once more in the bottom of the eighth. LG's bullpen wobbled and loaded the bases, and Choi Ji-hoon launched a dramatic game-tying grand slam over the right-center field wall to even the score.
LG created another opportunity in the top of the ninth. Although SSG brought in the league's top closer Cho Byung-hyun, LG loaded the bases on a single by Park Hae-min, a double by Shin Min-jae and an intentional walk to Cheon Seong-ho, before Hong Chang-ki drew a bases-loaded walk to put LG back in front.
LG turned to Son Joo-young, recently converted to closer, in the bottom of the ninth to protect the lead. Son ran into trouble with an error and a walk but struck out Jeong Jun-jae, retired Choi Jeong on a fly ball to right and got Heredia to ground out to shortstop, earning his second save of the season.
LG's Jang Hyun-sik, who surrendered the grand slam, blew the win but picked up his fourth victory of the season (2 losses, 2 saves) thanks to his teammates' offensive support. SSG's Cho Byung-hyun took his first loss of the season (1 win, 5 saves).
Taking the opening game of the weekend three-game series, LG improved to 24-16 on the season. The Twins leapfrogged the Samsung Lions (23-1-16), who lost to the KIA Tigers earlier in the day, to take sole possession of second place just one day after slipping to third.
SSG, meanwhile, fell to 21-1-18 and held onto fourth place but now finds the fifth-place KIA Tigers (20-1-20) closing in to within 1.5 games.
