Shout out! Ko Jongwook! KIA in the first round, LG defeated 12-2 and won the Winning Series
Jun 29, 2025
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KIA came from behind to win 12-2 against the LG Twins in the '2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 29th. KIA won the Winning Series with two consecutive wins and secured the fourth place with 41 wins, 35 losses and three draws in the season. LG, ranked second, lost two consecutive games and recorded 44 wins, 33 losses and 2 draws in the season.
KIA finished first in winning percentage by winning the most points this month in its last game in June. KIA recorded 15 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws and a winning percentage of 0.682 in June. Thanks to this, he was able to elevate his ranking to fourth place after staying in seventh place until May.
KIA made the starting lineup with Ko Jong-wook (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Patrick Wisdom (third baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Oh Sun-woo (first baseman), Kim Seok-hwan (right fielder), Kim Kyu-sung (fielders), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Min (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Yoon Young-chul.
LG faced off with Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Kim Hyun-soo (designated hitter), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Moon Sung-joo (left fielder), Park Dong-won (possession), Oh Ji-hwan (striker), Choi Won-young (right fielder), and Park Hae-min (middle fielder). The starting pitcher is Yoni Chirinos.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho's winning pitcher Ko Jong-wook worked. Coach Lee judged that Lee Chang-jin, who had been fixed as the first batter, needed a break once, and judged that Ko Jong-wook was the right person to target the opponent's starting Chirinos.
Coach Lee said, "(The late) Jong-wook is at the level of (most) Hyung-woo in our team based on his batting sense. There are a lot of changes in Chirinos' ball, and if Jong-wook is out, the team itself has a little effect of raising the atmosphere. It's so bright, and performances at bat also make players excited. I'll leave Jong-wook at No. 1 and trust him."
Ko Jong-wook met his expectations by 200 percent. It was Ko Jong-wook who announced the opening of the big inning with six runs in the sixth inning. He played three hits, one RBI, and one stolen base in four at-bats and was replaced by Lee Chang-jin.
Yoon Young-chul allowed five hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and one run in five innings, securing his second win (six losses) of the season. From the 6th inning, Kim Min-ju (1 ⅔ inning, 1 run), Choi Ji-min (1 inning), Sung Young-tak (⅓ inning), and Lee Ho-min (1 inning) continued to throw to keep the victory.
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KIA's batting lineup struggled to the point where it could only take two hits from Chirinos until the fifth inning. However, Ko Jong-wook was the exception. Both hits were produced by Ko Jong-wook.
In the top of the sixth inning, Ko Jong-wook returned Lee's faith. Leadoff hitter Park Min got on base with a hit to the right. Ko Jong-wook hit a timely double over the left-center field to balance 1-1.
When Ko Jong-wook scored the team's first run, KIA hitters began to swirl. It was equivalent to the pressure at the time of last year's winning season. Kim Ho-ryeong's sacrifice bunt made it to third base with one out, and Wisdom hit a timely hit to the left of the left field to turn it over 2-1. Choi Hyung-woo's hit continued the opportunity for first and third base with one out, and Oh Sun-woo hit a timely double to the left to make it 3-1.
LG eventually lowered Chirinos and raised Kim Jin-sung. At this time, Kim Seok-hwan continued the flow. With one out and runners on the second and third bases, he hit a two-run timely triple to escape 5-1. Kim Seok-hwan recorded his first triple the day before, and after making a triple in two consecutive games, he was replaced by pinch runner Choi Won-joon. KIA took out Park Chan-ho's card as a pinch hitter in Kim Kyu-sung's at-bat with one out and third base, and Park Chan-ho blew a sacrifice fly to right field and ran away to 6-1.
The bottom of the seventh inning was a challenge. Kim Min-joo, who took the mound as the second pitcher, pitched well in the sixth inning followed by two outs in the seventh inning, but was shaken when pinch hitter Chun Sung-ho was walked. Park Hae-min got on base with a heavy hit and Shin Min-jae was on the verge of loading the bases in an instant. KIA quickly replaced left-hander Choi Ji-min. Kim Hyun-soo's infield hit RBI on the left side of the shortstop made it 6-2, but he stopped additional runs by turning Austin into a fly ball to left field.
KIA solidified its victory by making another three-run big inning in the top of the eighth inning. After getting a leadoff batter Wisdomil's walk, he was replaced by pinch runner Hong Jong-pyo, and Choi Hyung-woo continued the flow with a hit to the right. After two outs, Park Chan-ho hit a timely hit to the left to run 7-2, and changed the situation to second and third bases while LG's relay play was inexperienced. LG lowered Lee Jung-yong and replaced the mound with Lee Woo-chan. Lee Woo-chan lost a point by committing a wild pitch in an important match with Kim Tae-gun, and Kim Tae-gun hit a timely hit to make it 9-2.
KIA also beat left-hander Ham Deok-ju, who returned to injury in the top of the ninth inning. After two outs, Hong Jong-pyo and Han Jun-su got a walk, and Oh Sun-woo hit a two-run timely double to make it 11-2. Choi Won-joon also hit a timely double to seal the 12-2 victory.
On the day it sold out. Until the end of the game, the third base was filled with the enthusiasm of KIA away fans singing cheering songs, and the stands of the LG home team at first base were empty in the ninth inning.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
