After taking Game 2 on the strength of their bats, the LG Twins needed a strong performance from their starting pitcher, and fourth-year left-hander Kim Yoon-sik earned his first win of the series.
LG, led by manager Yoon Kyung-yup, won Game 4 of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Korean Series against the KT Wiz 15-4 on Nov. 11 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon. The series is now 3-1, and LG needs just one win in the remaining games to clinch the franchise’s third Korean Series title since 1990 and 1994.
Looking at the first three games, none of them were easy. Games 1 through 3 were all one-run games, and both teams had to play their hearts out. KT, which had already played five games in the playoffs, was naturally under pressure, and LG, which was well-rested, also had to worry about overloading its lineup.
Given the starting matchup of Uhm Sang-baek and Kim Yoon-sik in Game 4, both teams could have called on their bullpens early depending on the situation. It was necessary to prepare for the fact that the starting lineup would inevitably be less weighty than if a foreign pitcher or Korean ace were to take the mound.
However, unlike KT’s Uhm Sang-baek, who got off to a shaky start by giving up a leadoff single to Kim Hyun-soo in the first inning, LG’s Kim Yoon-sik shut down KT’s bats by retiring nine consecutive batters from the first to the third inning. He didn’t allow a run until the batting order had gone around the bases.
Yun-Sik Kim kept the fourth and fifth innings scoreless as well, with a single by Hong Chang-ki in the fifth and a two-run double by Moon Bo-kyung in the sixth. Even though Kim had to leave the game after giving up a single to Hwang Jae-gyun with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, LG fans gave him a standing ovation.
LG’s bats stayed hot after Kim’s departure, and the team scored seven and three runs in the top of the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, to secure the win. It was also a big win for the team as Kim Yoon-sik went more innings than expected, saving the bullpen.
Even when the season was in full swing, Yeom Kyung-yeop was still struggling to find a fourth starter. After the Korean Series, the situation was no different, but he opted to use Lee Jung-yong, who had more experience in the bullpen, in the middle and late innings, giving Kim Yun-sik a chance to start. As it turned out, the choice paid off.
“I thought (Kim) pitched much better than I thought he would,” said Yoon. He mixed his fastball with his changeup and did his job as a starter,” said Yeom. “It was a game where you need your starter to go long when it matters. If we had used up our bullpen by the fourth inning, we could have been in trouble for the rest of the game, but Yoon Shik-sik was able to go the distance.” 보스토토
Prior to this game, LG’s last Korean Series start was by Ravelo Manzanio, who started Game 2 of the 2002 Korean Series against the Samsung Lions on November 4. He allowed one run in seven innings to earn the win.