The NC Dinos completed a three-game sweep of the top-ranked LG Twins for the second time this season. The Dinos swept the 14th game of the season against LG at Changwon NC Park on Sunday, winning 5-3 behind a stellar pitching performance from starter Choi Sung-young and a 7-hit, 3-RBI, 4-run performance from tablesetter Son Ah-seop Park Min-woo.
It was the second LG Electronics three-game sweep of the season after a three-game series in Jamsil on June 2-4.
Choi Sung-young picked up his first win of the second half with six innings of five-hit, one-walk, two-strikeout ball, using a 141-kilometer fastball, slider and changeup to take away the timing of the LG bats.
LG’s mound operation went awry in the first inning when starter Lim Chan-gyu was ejected after nine pitches for a head shot to Park Gun-woo with runners on first and third. Despite utilizing six bullpen pitchers, they were unable to prevent the sweep, ending a nightmarish three-game series against Changwon.
▶Kim Joo-won recovers from a bruised finger and returns to the lineup, while Kim Hyun-soo is out for the third game in a row.
NC’s batting order was Son Asub (right fielder), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Park Geon-woo (designated hitter), Jason Martin (center fielder), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Do Tae-hoon (first baseman), Seo Ho-cheol (third baseman), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), and Ahn Jung-yeol (catcher). The starting pitcher is left-hander Choi Sung-young.
No major changes to the batting lineup. Regarding Kim Joo-won, who was substituted the previous day after suffering bruises on his right index and middle fingers on an irregular hit by Moon Bo-kyung while fielding, NC manager Kang Myung-hyun said, “I was hit by a fast hit and the nail on my right index finger was slightly open and bleeding. I thought it might be difficult for him to play today, but he has improved a lot, so I put him in the lineup.”
LG’s lineup consisted of Hong Chang-ki (right fielder), Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Kim Min-sung (first baseman), Austin Dean (designated hitter), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Moon Sung-joo (left fielder), and Park Hae-min (center fielder). The starting pitcher was Im Chan-kyu.
Kim Hyun-soo, who had rested for two consecutive days due to back pain on the first day of the third game and tonsil fever on the day before, was left out of the starting lineup for the third game in a row. However, he participated in pregame training and waited on the bench to make a substitution.
▶Aftermath of a devastating series loss→’August 4 sweep’ Im Chan-kyu retires on a head shot after 9 pitches
The LG Twins suffered an upset loss in the ninth inning when a pitch hit the second base umpire. The aftermath of the previous day’s loss was felt early on.
In the bottom of the first inning, 0-0, Son As-seop and Park Gun-woo singled to put runners on first and third.
He threw a hard, 144-mph fastball to No. 3 Park that grazed the ears and chin guard of Park’s gladiator helmet. Park stayed down for a moment, but managed to get to his feet and pat a worried Im Chan-kyu on the back before being replaced at first base by pinch-hitter Yoon Hyung-jun.
Im was immediately ejected for a head shot. Choi Dong-hwan rushed up, warmed up, and took over the batting order with the bases loaded. He was not as warmed up and allowed the first batter, Martin, to walk on a full count.
However, he got the next batter, Kwon Hee-dong, to fly out to the catcher and Do Tae-hoon to ground out to first base to get the runners on second and third to end the inning with minimal damage. Lim Chan-kyu, who went 4-0 in August to record his first double-digit win total since 2020, gave up one run on two hits and a walk without recording an out in his final appearance of the month. LG tied the game in the top of the third and avoided a loss.
After leaving the game, Park went to the hospital for a checkup and was found to have no major problems other than dizziness.
▶For the second consecutive day in Changwon, there was a strange scene… Park Hae-min’s retouch goal was ruled one-tempo late→VR kept centrifugal→Kang In-hwa appealed and was sent off.
Following the previous day, the Changwon game produced another strange scene.
NC coach Kang Myung-hwa was ejected for protesting the video review.
LG attacked in the third inning, trailing 0-1. One out later, Park Hae-min and Hong Chang-ki singled to put runners on first and third. Shin Min-jae hit a ball that went behind the second baseman.
Second baseman Park Min-woo makes the catch in backward motion.
Park Hae-min, third baseman, bunt. He headed for home. Judging that the throw home was late, Park Min-woo threw to first base to catch the overrun first baseman, Hong Chang-ki, for the out.
The inning was over, and all the players returned to the dugout.
The problem came next. When the run was not called, an appeal was made from the LG bench. They argued that Park Hae-min had crossed the plate before the ball reached first base, so the run should be awarded.
The umpires agreed and awarded the goal to LG. 1-1 tie.
The NC bench was fired up. NC coach Kang Myung-ho came out and appealed, but the referees said to settle it through video review, which was eventually done at NC’s request. The result was safe with no reversal.
Coach Kang came out again to appeal. He claimed that the call was overturned due to LG’s protest. Considered a video review protest, Kang was immediately ejected. The appeal was prolonged as batting coach Song Ji-won and others continued to express their frustration. The game was suspended for more than five minutes. Something wasn’t quite right. From the beginning, there was tension on the benches of both teams.
LG’s sudden bullpen day was stopped by Son As-seop and Park Min-woo tablesetter
After the sudden departure of Im Chan-gyu, LG mobilized its bullpen in an all-out effort to prevent a sweep. However, aside from Choi Dong-hwan (two scoreless innings), all pitchers struggled until the sixth inning, when Park Myung-geun (one run in the first inning), Baek Seung-hyun (two runs in the first inning), and Jung Woo-young (one run in the second inning) gave up runs.
At the center of it all was tablesetter Son Asub Park Min-woo.
At the end of the third inning, the score was tied 1-1. It was a crucial offense for NC as it was right after the ejection of coach Kang In-hwa. They had two veteran players at the forefront. Son Ah-seop led off with a single to left field on a changeup from Park Myung-geun, and Park Min-woo pulled a fastball on a two-ball to put runners on second and third with no outs. No. 3 Yoon Hyung-jun, who came in for Park Gun-woo, who was replaced by Sagu, hit a sacrifice fly to center. 2-1. It was the game-winning hit.
With the score 2-1, Park Min-woo came through in the fourth inning.
With runners on first and second, Ahn Jung-yeol’s bunt put runners on third and first. Ahn was replaced by Jung-yeol, who complained of right adductor pain. Two outs, two runs. With the game on the line, Park Min-woo came to the plate again.
Son advanced to second on a wild pitch. Park Min-woo pushed a 147-kilometer fastball from Baek Seung-hyun over the left-field fence for a two-run double to make it 4-1.
LG pulled within one run (4-2) in the top of the sixth inning on Austin’s RBI double with runners on first and second.
However, NC immediately increased its lead to three runs (5-2) in the bottom of the sixth inning when Park Min-woo drove a 150-kilometer pitch from Jung Woo-young to right field on a full count after an infield single by Son and a walk by Jung.스포츠토토
▶Choi Sung-young’s best pitching of the second half, LG’s Shin Min-jae’s home dash VR results mixed
NC starter Choi Sung-young returned in the second half after a batting injury. He pitched his best game since returning. Won his fifth win of the season (1-1) with six innings of five hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. It was his first win in 80 days since June 8 against Samsung and his first win in the second half.
LG had one last chance in the eighth inning.
Park Hae-min led off with a bunt single. Hong Chang-ki followed with a ball that hit the forearm, putting runners on first and second.
NC quickly replaced left-hander Lim Jung-ho with Ryu Jin-wook. Shin Min-jae grounded out to the catcher, forcing the runner at second. Kim Hyun-soo was brought in to pinch-hit for the reserves. Ryu Jin-wook hit a two-pitch forkball into the right field seats. Runners on first and third with one out.
Austin hit a grounder that was slow in front of the third baseman. Seo Ho-cheol made a quick throw home to tag out Shin Min-jae, the speedy third baseman, by a hair. Video review showed no replay. It was a watershed moment in the game.
Oh Ji-hwan came up to bat and threw a wild pitch. The ball bounced heavily toward the LG dugout, but catcher Kim Hyung-joon was quick to catch it and snag it just before it entered the dugout. Runners on second and third. LG claimed extra bases as the catcher’s body was in the dugout, but it was not accepted. Oh Ji-Hwan singled to center field, second out.
NC brought in Lee Yong-chan for the final out. He induced a forked ball to Moon Bo-kyung to ground out to second base to end the inning.
Lee Yong-chan ended the top of the ninth with a triple play.