Three straight extra-inning walk-off losses. The nightmare that had weighed down the LG Twins was finally broken. The process was far from easy. Decisive moments that seemed like the goddess of victory turning her back repeated three times, but this time they did not collapse.
The LG Twins earned a thrilling come-from-behind 6-5 victory in the fifth game of the season against the KT Wiz in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 30th. It was a precious point earned after overcoming the unprecedented trauma of three consecutive extra-inning walk-off losses and much hard work.
Until the middle of the game, LG once again seemed to be trapped in the "formula of defeat." Leading 3-0, they allowed a tying run in the fifth and gave up the lead in the sixth to fall behind 3-5. In the top of the eighth, when LG's counterattack began, hope seemed to appear, but the "shadow of the nightmare" quickly fell.
In the top of the eighth with no outs and runners on second and third, Moon Bo-gyeong hit a left-field single. It was a moment when a tie was possible. But a ridiculous scene unfolded when the runner on second, Austin, tripped while rounding third and charging home. When Austin, caught in a rundown, was tagged out pointlessly, cold water was poured over the LG dugout.
Even in the bottom of the ninth, the evil spirit did not let go of LG. Closer Ham Deok-ju came in, but after issuing a leadoff walk, shortstop Oh Ji-hwan committed an error by missing a ground ball, creating a no-out, runners on first and second crisis. On the ensuing Hilliard infield fly situation, third baseman Cheon Sung-ho collided with shortstop Oh Ji-hwan and dropped the ball, producing a dizzying scene. Fortunately, the infield fly was called, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief, but the shadow of defeat was darker than ever.
In the desperate moment, the veterans' focus saved the team. In the top of the eighth, after Austin was thrown out on the bases and the mood had completely sunk, with two outs and runners on second, Park Hae-min, down in an unfavorable 2-2 count, pushed Han Seung-hyeok's forkball to narrowly tie the game at 5-5.
Not stopping there, Park Hae-min unsettled the KT battery with a surprise steal of third, and then Gu Bon-hyeok, coming to the plate, delivered a right-field go-ahead RBI single to turn the game around.
Despite several crises in the bottom of the ninth, Ham Deok-ju did not falter. He handled the following batters with an infield fly and flyouts, preserving the one-run precarious victory. It was the moment the dreadful jinx of three straight walk-off losses finally came to an end.
After the game, manager Youm Kyoung-youb said, "We started the game in an overall difficult atmosphere, but the players' passion to win created a foothold that allowed us to secure the victory," and added, "If we had lost today, May's momentum could have gone badly, so this was an important game, but I want to praise the players for producing a come-from-behind win by showing their best concentration."
Having gone to the brink of hell and returned, LG has created a clear turning point in momentum with this victory. Fans are watching to see whether the Twins, having shaken off their "walk-off phobia," can spectacularly open the curtain on a May rebound.
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