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The LG Twins once more demonstrated the effectiveness of their formidable batting order in professional baseball.

LG won the second game of the Korean Series (a best-of-seven competition) at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 27th with a score of 13-5, coming from behind after falling behind early and extending their series win streak to two games. They have now reached the fifth milestone in their pursuit of a fourth all-time championship. If they secure two more victories in the next five games, they will once again win the Korean Series title, following their previous wins in 1990, 1994, and 2023. Historically, teams that have won the first and second games of the Korean Series have a 90.48% chance of winning the championship (19 out of 21 times).

LG’s batting order led the league with a regular-season team batting average of .278. Throughout the season, experienced players like Moon Bo-kyung, Kim Hyun-soo, Park Dong-won, and Austin, along with leadoff batter Shin Min-jae and ninth hitter Park Hae-min, maintained steady performance, receiving recognition for a batting lineup that had no weaknesses from top to bottom. In the Korean Series, LG’s batting unit, competing against Hanwha, who had the best team ERA (3.55), demonstrated their unified strength by recording 11 hits of different types. Following an 8-2 win in the first game the day before, LG once again launched a strong assault on Hanwha’s pitching staff, securing a 13-5 victory in the second game.

LG, down 0-4 after allowing back-to-back home runs by Moon Hyun-bin and No Si-hwan, along with an RBI single from Ha Ju-seok in the top of the first inning, quickly made a comeback.

The energy that vanished in the first inning was rekindled by Park Dong-won’s bat in the second. With bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the second inning, Park Dong-won came to the plate and hit a changeup from Hanwha starter Ryu Hyun-jin between the shortstop and second base for a double. This hit down the left-center gap enabled two runners to score, sparking LG’s comeback. Park Dong-won, who dove headfirst into second base, raised his right fist in celebration. Following this, Goo Bon-hyuk’s tying hit and Hong Chang-ki’s game-leading hit came, giving LG a 5-4 advantage.

Park Dong-won’s bat remained active through the third inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, he once again focused on Ryu Hyun-jin’s changeup, and this time the ball flew over the left field fence for a home run. The home run covered a distance of 117.9 meters with an exit speed of 169 km/h, increasing LG’s lead to 7-4. This home run signaled the end of Ryu Hyun-jin’s performance, as he gave up seven runs in three innings. After 19 years since his previous Korean Series appearance in 2006, the Hanwha starter was removed from the game after two crucial hits by Park Dong-won’s bat.

In the fourth inning, when the score was 7-5, LG took advantage of a bases-loaded situation that resulted from three walks, with Moon Bo-kyung hitting a double that brought in three additional runs. The ball hit the top of the right field fence and then rolled out.

In the seventh inning’s bottom half, with LG ahead 10-5, Park Dong-won accomplished his third objective. With a runner on second base and no outs, Park Dong-won executed a bunt that slowly moved toward the third baseman, causing a throwing error by Hanwha’s defense, which allowed the runner to score. This bunt, after his two-run double and two-run home run, added another run. On that day, Park Dong-won had 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including a home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Park Dong-won had previously hit two home runs in the 2023 Korean Series. Although Oh Ji-hwan was named the series MVP at that time, manager Yeom Kyung-yup stated, “My choice for MVP was Park Dong-won,” emphasizing his special role within the team. In this year’s Korean Series, Park Dong-won once again demonstrated his crucial role for the team by driving in four runs in the second game, recording his sixth career postseason home run and third in the Korean Series.

It wasn’t only about his hitting. As a catcher, Park Dong-won consistently stopped Hanwha batters from taking advantage of the fast pitch, creating a solid partnership with the pitchers. During the key sixth and seventh innings, he kept things under control to stop more runs from scoring. After the game, Park Dong-won said, “I was happy to hit the home run at a moment when I felt we needed to extend our lead before the opponent could close the gap.” He added, “I was aiming for the changeup, and even though there was no certainty it would be a pitch-out, it turned out to be an error. I think I was just fortunate today. It seems like the cosmic energy has shifted to LG.” LG manager Yeom Kyung-yup commented, “I told Park Dong-won to expect and hit Ryu Hyun-jin’s changeup, and he did exactly that.”

Moon Bo-kyung hit a two-run home run beyond the left field wall in the eighth inning, with the score at 11-5. He batted 4 out of 5, driving in five runs, and was named Daily MVP (Most Valuable Player).

The starting pitcher Lim Chan-kyu had a tough outing, giving up five hits (two of which were home runs), five runs (four of them earned) in 3⅓ innings, while issuing three walks and recording two strikeouts. Nevertheless, the bullpen consisting of Kim Young-woo, Kim Jin-sung, Song Seung-gi, Ham Deok-ju, and Lee Jung-yong took over for the rest of the game. Particularly, Kim Jin-sung, who came into the game with the bases full and two outs in the top of the fourth inning, struck out No Si-hwan with a swinging strikeout. He also retired Hanwha’s Chae Eun-sung, Son Ah-seop, and Ha Ju-seok one after another during the fifth inning, securing the victory. At 40 years, 7 months, and 20 days old, Kim Jin-sung became the oldest pitcher to earn a win in Korean Series history. The previous record was set by Ga In-pyo of SK (now SSG), who recorded a win on October 30, 2008, in the fourth game of the Korean Series against Doosan at the age of 39 years and 29 days.

On the other hand, Hanwha faced another lackluster loss in the second game after their previous day’s defeat. In the top of the first inning, they managed to score four runs through five hits, which included a two-run home run from third batter Moon Hyun-bin and a solo home run by fourth batter No Si-hwan. They scored an additional run with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning but couldn’t regain control. Hanwha’s starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who made his first appearance in the Korean Series in 19 years since his rookie season in 2006 at the age of 19, struggled with seven earned runs in three innings, resulting in the loss. Reliever Kim Jong-soo then allowed three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Although they brought in relievers Kim Beom-su, Park Sang-won, Joo Hyun-sang, Yoon San-heum, and Jeong Woo-joo to try to make a comeback, it wasn’t sufficient.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon’s “Korean Series nightmare at Jamsil” has now stretched to 12 games. Having previously faced Doosan and NC in four Korean Series matches at Jamsil, he suffered defeats in all 10 games. Following losses in both Game 1 and Game 2 against LG, his record at Jamsil now reads 12 losses out of 12 games. After the match, Kim Kyung-moon, manager of Hanwha, stated, “I apologize to the fans for today’s unexciting performance in the Korean Series. We will head back to Daejeon and prepare to make a comeback.”

Matches 3 (29th), 4 (30th), and 5 (31st) will be held in Daejeon.