Starter Im Chan-kyu had a solid outing and his teammates provided just enough run support, as the LG Twins defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 3-2 on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
Im, making his second start after missing nearly a month with a lower back injury, held the Heroes to a run on four hits in six innings at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The Twins snapped their two-game losing skid and ended the Heroes’ six-game winning streak.
The KBO will go on a four-day All-Star break beginning Friday, with Incheon, just west of Seoul, hosting the midseason festivities. The regular season will resume next Tuesday.
The Twins scored twice in the top of the first inning against starter Ha Yeong-min. After the first two batters hit a single and a double, Kim Hyun-soo plated the first run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Austin Dean followed up with another sacrifice fly to double the Twins’ lead.
After the Twins failed to score with runners at the
corners in the top third, the Heroes cut the deficit in half in the bottom third. Kim Gun-hee led off the frame with a double off starter Im Chan-kyu. Jang Jae-young, a former pitcher who converted to outfielder last month due to elbow problems, brought Kim home with a single to center.
Two batters later, with Jang still on first, Ronnie Dawson drove a first-pitch changeup from Im to deep right field for what could have been a game-tying double. But right fielder Hong Chang-ki tracked it down and made a leaping catch just in front of the fence to end the inning and preserve the Twins’ 2-1 lead.
The Twins regained their two-run lead in the very next inning, with Gu Bon-hyeok making it 3-1 with an RBI groundout to shortstop.
The Heroes couldn’t capitalize after putting two runners on in the bottom sixth, with cleanup Song Sung-mun and No. 5 hitter Choi Joo-hwan both unable to deliver.
The Heroes once again had two runners aboard for Song in the bottom eighth. He worked an eight-pitch walk against closer You
Young-chan to load the bases, but Choi could only manage an RBI fielder’s choice that made it a 3-2 game.
Pinch hitter Byeon Sang-kwon grounded into a force out to kill the final Heroes rally.
You Young-chan got the final five outs for his 18th save of the season. The Twins scored all three runs without the benefit of a hit.
Im was sidelined for most of June before returning on June 23, when he held the KT Wiz to a run over five innings and struck out eight. After tossing another one-run ball Thursday, Im improved to 5-3 for the season and lowered his ERA from 4.31 to 4.08.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
