LG bench game 'perfectly hit' - New wind 5 straight wins

The bench's choices were rewarded with results. The game went exactly how they wanted it to. The LG Twins have started August on a high note with a five-game winning streak.

LG extended its winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory in the 10th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on August 1. With the win, LG improved to 54 wins, 2 draws and 33 losses, 3.5 games behind second-place SSG Landers.

On the mound, Lim Chan-kyu earned his seventh win of the season with 5⅔ innings of five-hit, two-run ball, striking out five and walking two, while the bats of Moon Bo-kyung, who hit a game-winning two-run homer, and Oh Ji-hwan, who had a three-hit game, provided support.

The LG bench also had a big impact on the game. There were two decisive moments in the middle and late game.

The first came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when LG led 3-1. The LG bench called up Moon Sung-joo, who hadn't been hitting well lately, and called up Shin Min-jae. It was a pinch-hitter, not a pinch-runner.

After failing to bunt on two pitches after a one-pitch walk, Shin switched from a bunt motion to a hard hitter on a 1-1 pitch count and took a three-pitch fastball from Kiwoom McKinney for a single to right. In the meantime, second baseman Hong Chang-ki came home. It was a perfect hit and a perfect transition. The next batter, Moon Bo-kyung, was tagged out at second base while trying to steal, but Shin Min-jae had done his job.

After failing to score a run in the sixth inning, LG faced a two-out crisis in the top of the eighth. The fourth pitcher, Baek Seung-hyun, gave up an infield single to 바카라 Ronnie Dawson and then struck out Lee Won-seok, but he walked Song Sung-moon and Lee Ju-hyung to load the bases.

The LG bench didn't hesitate to call up Go Woo-seok, who was waiting in the bullpen. Kiwoom responded with pinch-hitter Lee Hyung-jong, but the inning ended with a grounder to third base. Moon Bo-kyung, who chased the ball into foul territory, showed great concentration to keep hold of the ball even as he fell.

Kiwoom looked for a chance to tie or take the lead in the middle of the game, but they couldn't get past LG, who didn't want to lose the lead.