LG pitchers issue three consecutive bases-loaded walks, Kiwoom beats LG 8-3 at Jamsil

In a situation where one win would have been precious, the last-place team was firmly tripped up. Pitchers' command troubles led to self-destruction with walks. The batting lineup was silent with only two hits through the seventh inning. The professional baseball team LG Twins fell into a three-game losing streak. LG was soundly defeated 3-8 by the Kiwoom Heroes in a game held Aug. 8 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. They lost the starting pitcher battle, and the bullpen pitchers' command was dreadful. The offense remained silent but managed only a three-run chase in the eighth inning. Starter Park Si-won allowed the first run when, with no outs and runners on first and second in the third inning, an infield grounder was followed by a run-scoring single to right field by Chu Jae-hyun. He prevented further runs at 1 out, runners on first and second. Park Si-won was replaced in the fourth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. Kim Jin-soo came in as the second pitcher and ended the inning with an infield grounder. But a disaster unfolded in the fifth inning. Kim Jin-soo gave up a left-center triple to leadoff hitter Seo Geon-chang, and then put Chu Jae-hyun on base with a hit by pitch. With no outs and runners on first and third, he allowed a run on a run-scoring hit by Davidson. LG replaced Kim Jin-soo with Lee Woo-chan. Lee Woo-chan, who took the mound with no outs and runners on first and third, allowed a run-scoring single to center by Keston Hiura and then gave up a single to right to Kim Woong-bin, creating a no-out bases-loaded crisis. Lee Woo-chan issued a bases-loaded walk to Kim Dong-heon, making the score 0-4. Lee Woo-chan was pulled without recording an out. LG changed pitchers again. Kim Young-woo came in. Kim Young-woo issued a straight four-ball walk to pinch hitter An Chi-hong, allowing another run to score on a bases-loaded walk. In the matchup with Park Joo-hong, the count went to full after three balls, but he again issued a bases-loaded walk, marking three consecutive bases-loaded walks. Deep sighs erupted from the LG cheering section along the first-base line. Kim Young-woo then allowed a sacrifice fly with the continued bases loaded, making the score 0-7. With one out and runners on first and second, the inning ended with a shallow fly to the outfield and a strikeout. In the top of the fifth, three LG pitchers combined to give up four hits and four walks, yielding six runs. It was the inning that effectively decided the outcome. Ko Woo-seok, who returned from the United States, had finished his time adjustment and was preparing to pitch normally starting that day, but no situation arose for him to appear. Down 0-8 in the bottom of the eighth, the first-base LG cheering section briefly erupted when Austin hit a two-run opposite-field double over the fence. It was a consolation that Austin reached the season milestone of 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored. That jubilation was short-lived; when the bottom of the eighth ended, many empty seats were visible in the first-base stands. Many LG fans left in the late stages of the game. The LG team, now in a three-game losing streak, kept its hold on third place by a half-game when KIA lost to Samsung. LG faces Hanwha in Daejeon on the 9th. [OSEN]