12-7 Victory! How LG Twins Outperformed SSG Landers in Exciting KBO Preseason Showdown

Austin / Photo=DB

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seoyoung] The LG Twins edged the SSG Landers in a wild, high-scoring exhibition on Thursday.

LG won 12-7 at Incheon’s SSG Landers Field in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition game on the 19th.

The victory moved LG to 3-1-3 in spring exhibitions; SSG fell to 3-4.

Starter Song Seung-gi delivered 3.1 innings, allowing one hit (a solo homer), one walk, and two runs while striking out two. Kim Young-woo, who followed, picked up the win after tossing 0.2 innings and yielding two hits (one a homer) and one run.

LG’s lineup combined for 12 hits, including two homers. Song Chan-ui was a catalyst, going 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs, while Austin contributed a 2-for-3 game with a homer, three RBIs and a run.

SSG starter Takeda lasted three innings, surrendering three hits, issuing five walks, striking out two and allowing two runs. Reliever Lee Ki-sun was charged with the loss after two innings, giving up a homer, two walks and two runs while recording three strikeouts.

SSG launched four homers in the game — Ko Myung-jun homered in back-to-back at-bats, with Choi Jeong and Jo Hyung-woo also going deep — but the power surge wasn’t enough.

LG set the tone early. In the top of the first, leadoff man Park Hae-min singled off Takeda and Shin Min-jae walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Hong Chang-ki hit into a 4-6-3 double play, but Park advanced to third and scored on Austin’s RBI single to give LG a 1-0 lead.

The Twins extended the lead in the second. Koo Bon-hyuk walked to lead off, and after Lee Jae-won struck out, Lee Joo-heon singled to right to create a 1-out, first-and-third look. Park Hae-min grounded out, but Koo raced home from third to make it 2-0.

SSG answered with the long ball in the fourth. After Erredia battled to a full-count walk, Choi Jeong took Song Seung-gi’s first pitch — a 129 km/h changeup (80.2 mph) — and launched a two-run shot to left to tie the game. Later in the frame, with two outs and nobody on, Ko Myung-jun jumped on reliever Kim Young-woo’s first pitch, a 150 km/h fastball (93.2 mph), and hit a solo homer to put SSG ahead 3-2.

LG regained control in the fifth. Hong Chang-ki drew a leadoff walk and Austin crushed Lee Ki-sun’s fifth pitch, a 140 km/h fastball (87.0 mph), into the left-field seats for a two-run homer, pushing the Twins back in front, 5-2.

The Twins blew the game open in the sixth. Lee Jae-won and Lee Joo-heon each drew walks from new pitcher Yoon Tae-hyun, and a wild pitch made it first and third with no outs. Song Chan-ui popped out, but Lee Young-bin then ripped a two-run triple to right off reliever Baek Seung-geon. A groundout by Chun Seong-ho brought in another run and stretched the lead to 7-3.

SSG kept fighting. In the bottom of the sixth, Ko Myung-jun hit a 148 km/h fastball (92.0 mph) from Jang Hyun-sik deep over the left-field wall — a roughly 130 m (427 ft) solo shot — cutting the gap to 7-4.

LG answered in the seventh. Moon Seong-ju led off with a single to center off reliever Shin Ji-hwan, and after two quick groundouts, pinch-hitter Park Dong-won delivered an RBI single to bring Moon home and restore a three-run cushion.

SSG chipped away in the seventh. Im Geun-woo doubled to left with one out, and Jung Joon-jae followed by taking reliever Woo Kang-hoon’s first pitch — a 150 km/h fastball (93.2 mph) — for a triple to right-center that plated Im. Jung later scored on Park Seong-han’s infield grounder, pulling SSG within 8-6.

The Twins responded immediately in the eighth. Song Chan-ui fought a full-count battle against reliever Lee Ro-won and ripped a two-bagger to left. After Lee Young-bin struck out, Chun Seong-ho’s infield single kept the inning alive. Back-to-back RBI hits from Chu Se-hyun and Moon Seong-ju pushed the lead to 10-6 and into double digits.

SSG rallied again in the eighth when pinch-hitter Jo Hyung-woo connected on Ham Deok-joo’s sixth pitch, a 127 km/h slider (78.9 mph), for a solo homer to left.

But LG put the game away in the ninth. After Lee Joo-heon drew a walk, Song Chan-ui launched a two-run homer to extend the lead to 12-7. Closer Yoo Young-chan was summoned for the bottom of the ninth and retired Im Geun-woo, Ahn Sang-hyun and Kim Min-jun in order to finish a scoreless frame and seal the win for the Twins.

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seoyoung sports@stoo.com]
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