LG to face KIA in best-of-five KBO series after wild-card win
In short
The LG Twins will face the KIA Tigers in a best-of-five KBO postseason series starting October 17 after beating the Doosan Bears 4-1 in the wild-card game. LG manager Yeom Gyeong-yeop (염경엽) said containing KIA hitter Kim Do-yeong (김도영) would be central to the matchup.
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The LG Twins will meet the KIA Tigers in a best-of-five KBO postseason series beginning October 17 after defeating the Doosan Bears 4-1 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on October 14. LG had entered the wild-card stage as the regular season's fourth-place team with a one-win advantage, allowing it to advance after one played game. Third-place KIA had qualified directly for the next round. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
LG manager Yeom Gyeong-yeop (염경엽) said limiting KIA hitter Kim Do-yeong (김도영) would be the key to the series. He said Kim had repeatedly hurt LG at decisive moments during the season. Newsis reported that KIA won the season matchup 9-7 and had gone unbeaten in the teams' final seven meetings. It said Kim's two-run home run in the eighth inning of the October 12 regular-season finale secured a 4-2 KIA win and direct qualification. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
The opening two games are scheduled for October 17 and 18 at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. The series then moves to Jamsil for games three and four on October 20 and 21, with a fifth game back in Gwangju on October 23 if required, Korea Economic Daily reported. The winner will face the Samsung Lions from October 25. KIA and LG, the championship teams in 2024 and 2025 respectively, have not met in postseason play since the 2016 wild-card series. [ 5 , 10 ]
LG also faces injury questions. Its manager said second baseman Sin Min-jae (신민재) would need an examination after hurting his thigh while running to first base in the wild-card game. Reports also described uncertainty over the availability of other injured players. Assessing the Doosan victory, the manager credited the starting pitching, the opening home run and the defence and relief pitching that limited damage during a seventh-inning threat. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The series brings together the 2024 and 2025 championship teams for their first postseason meeting since 2016. The winner advances to face the Samsung Lions in the next playoff round.
Key facts
- LG beat Doosan 4-1 at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium on October 14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Fourth-place LG entered the wild-card stage with a one-win advantage. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The first two games against KIA are scheduled for October 17 and 18 in Gwangju. [ 5 , 10 ]
- Games three and four are scheduled for October 20 and 21 at Jamsil, with a deciding fifth game in Gwangju on October 23 if needed. [ 10 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- LG's player availability remained affected by injuries. Reports quoted the manager awaiting examinations or staff consultation before decisions on several players.