LG Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop: "Neutralizing Kim Do-young is the Key to Semi-PO Against KIA"

LG Twins professional baseball manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who slipped to the wild card round after a loss in the final regular-season game but secured a semi-playoff ticket in just one game, picked neutralizing archrival KIA Tigers star hitter Kim Do-young as the ultimate turning point.

The LG Twins defeated the Doosan Bears 4-1 in the first game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Postseason Wild Card Round held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul today (the 14th).

Having started the series with a one-win advantage as the fourth seed, LG wrapped up the series in a single game, confirming their trip to Gwangju to face the regular-season third-place KIA.

The first game of the series between the two teams is on the 17th.

After the game, Manager Yeom smiled with a hoarse voice, saying, "Because I was anxious while attacking and kept shouting fighting to cheer them on, my voice got strained."

Evaluating the match, he said, "I thought the starting pitching duel was the most important factor, and Carlos Carrasco went toe-to-toe with opposing ace Kwak 빈, taking control of the overall flow. Thanks to Austin's opening home run, the players were able to play with more composure."

Even amidst the victory, there were quite a few critical moments that made everyone hold their breath.

Regarding the missed opportunity with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the second inning, Manager Yeom confessed, "When we missed that chance, I thought today's game flow would not be easy."

Looking back at the crisis with runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the seventh, he explained, "Carrasco's pitches were so good through the sixth inning that I wanted to keep him in and make changes according to the situation, but we faced a crisis. Fortunately, Park Hae-min's stellar defense and John Kennedy's battling performance allowing just one run kept the momentum going."

The team roster ahead of the semi-playoffs faces overlapping injury variables.

Regarding starting second baseman Shin Min-jae, who injured his thigh while running to first base after a squeeze bunt in the eighth inning, Manager Yeom stated, "We will need to get a detailed medical examination tomorrow, but the situation doesn't look easy. I will check Oh Ji-hwan's physical condition first to include him if possible, and if not, I plan to use Lee Young-bin as the second baseman."

As for the possibility of Son Ju-young, who was left off the wild card round entry list due to a neck injury, joining the semi-playoffs, he remarked, "I plan to put him on the entry list and monitor his condition. I will make a decision after consulting with the coaching staff."

Now, LG will meet KIA again, with whom they fought fiercely for third place until the final day of the regular season.

Manager Yeom predicted that the foolproof solution for the semi-playoffs is ultimately shutting down KIA's Kim Do-young.

Manager Yeom emphasized, "We had intense matchups with KIA all season long, and every time at critical moments, we got hit by Kim Do-young. In the end, how we manage to stop Kim Do-young will be the core of this series."

(Photo: Joint Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.