The LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) extended their winning streak to five games with another come-from-behind victory, this time thanks to “RBI Machine” Hong Chang-ki (31), who hit the game-winning hit to keep the momentum going.
Starting in right field as the No. 1 hitter in the lineup against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Wednesday, Hong went 1-for-3 with one hit, one RBI, one run scored and two walks, including the game-winning hit in the top of the ninth inning, to lead LG to a 3-2 comeback victory.
After drawing a walk in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, Hong Chang-ki grounded out to shortstop in the third inning and grounded out to second base in the fifth inning, but his leadoff single in the top of the eighth inning after falling behind 0-2 started the comeback.
After a full count against Hanwha right-handed reliever Kim Kyu-yeon,
LG came from behind as Hong walked. Following a sacrifice bunt by Shin Min-jae, Austin Dean lined a single to right-center off reliever Lee Sang-kyu to score the first run. Pinch-hitter Choi Seung-min then stole second and, after an error, Moon Bo-kyung’s RBI double to center field tied the game at 2-2.
In the top of the ninth inning, the tying run came to the plate. Park Hae-min doubled to the right side of the infield to put runners on the corners, 안전놀이터 but Ahn Ik-hoon’s bunt was fouled off the first base line for a foul fly.
But Hong Chang-ki came through again. He drove a two-pitch slider from right-hander Joo Hyun-sang, the Hanwha Express closer, into the left-field seats for the final out. Yoo Young-chan closed the door in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 3-2 victory, LG’s fifth straight win and keep them in second place, four games behind first-place KIA.
After the game,
Hong Chang-ki said, “I feel like my bat is not working for me these days. There’s a reason why I’m batting first, so I think I need to get a strikeout. I need to make the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches so that the batters behind me can hit comfortably.”
The pressure was on Hong to deliver the game-winning hit in the top of the ninth, as Ahn Ik-hoon had failed to bunt in the previous at-bat. “I was trusting Ik-hoon,” said Hong, who smiled, “but it was an unfortunate out, but we needed to score to win. I took my foot off the gas and hit the fastball, but the slider hit the bat and I was lucky to get a hit.”
It was the second consecutive game that LG’s late-game heroics shined through after Park Dong-won’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning against Jamsil NC on Nov. 11. “We had a lot of come-from-behind wins last year,” Hong said. We’ve been playing well during the winning streak, and we’re seeing a lot of that,” he said.
When asked about continuing to chase KIA, Hong emphasized that “we have to win first,” adding, “Last year, when we were in first place, we felt like we were being chased (to protect it). It’s definitely more comfortable to chase. You never know what will happen in baseball,” he said, expressing his determination to come from behind.