LG Twins' 3 Bases-Loaded Walks Spark Fan Exodus in Loss

[OSEN=Jamsil, Reporter Han Yong-seop] In a situation where one win was desperately needed, they were properly tripped up by the bottom-ranked team. Pitchers self-destructed with poor control, issuing walks. The batting lineup remained silent with only two hits through the seventh inning. The LG Twins fell into a three-game losing streak. LG suffered a 3-8 defeat against the Kiwoom Heroes in a game held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 8th. They lost the battle of starting pitchers, and the bullpen's control was disastrous. The batting lineup remained silent until the eighth inning, managing only a three-run rally. Starting pitcher Park Si-won allowed the first run in the third inning with a runner on first and second and no outs, hitting Chu Jae-hyun with a right-field timely hit after a groundout to the infield. He prevented additional runs with one out and runners on first and second. Park was replaced in the fourth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. Kim Jin-su, the second pitcher, ended the inning with a groundout to the infield. Then, a major disaster occurred in the fifth inning. Kim Jin-su allowed a leadoff triple to Seo Geon-chang down the left-center gap and hit Chu Jae-hyun with a pitch. With no outs and runners on first and third, he gave up a timely hit to Davidson, allowing one run. LG replaced the pitcher from Kim Jin-su to Lee Woo-chan. Lee, who entered with no outs and runners on first and third, allowed a middle-of-the-infield timely hit to Hiu Ra, adding another run. He then gave up a right-field single to Kim Woong-bin, loading the bases with no outs. Lee was taken out without recording an out, and LG made another pitching change. Kim Young-woo entered the game. Kim allowed a straight ball walk to pinch hitter An Chi-hong, surrendering another run via a bases-loaded walk. In the at-bat against Park Joo-hong, he went from three balls to full count but allowed another bases-loaded walk. Three consecutive batters drew bases-loaded walks, prompting deep sighs from LG fans in the first-base seating area. Kim Young-woo continued to struggle with the bases loaded and no outs, allowing a sacrifice fly, extending the score to 0-7. He ended the inning with a flyout to the outfield and a strikeout with one out and runners on first and second. LG surrendered six runs in the top of the fifth inning with three pitchers, four hits, and four bases on balls. The inning effectively decided the outcome. Go Woo-suk, who returned from the U.S. and had finished adjusting to the time difference, was prepared to pitch normally starting that day, but the situation never allowed him to take the mound. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with LG trailing 0-8, Austin's two-run middle-of-the-infield double briefly sparked cheers from the first-base LG fan section. Austin's achievement of "100 RBIs and 100 runs scored" in the season was a consolation. That moment was short-lived. After the eighth inning ended, many seats in the first-base section remained empty, as numerous LG fans left during the latter stages of the game. LG, in a three-game losing streak, narrowly maintained third place by a 0.5-game lead after KIA lost to Samsung that day. LG will face Hanwha in a matchup in Daejeon on the 9th. /orange@osen.co.kr