LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yup has repeatedly said in recent pre-game interviews, “It’s about time the lineup breaks out.” But once again, the LG offense fell silent. With Moon Sung-joo and Moon Bo-kyung sidelined by injuries, even the team’s lone offensive spark, Austin Dean, grounded into a double play—a predictable outcome.
On May 12, 2026, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, LG lost 1-9 to the Samsung Lions in the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season. The defeat extended their losing streak to three games, dropping them to 22-15 and third place in the standings, behind Samsung (22-1-14) who moved into second.
Austin Dean. © Yonhap News
The defending champions, LG are aiming for back-to-back Korean Series titles. They started the season strongly, fueling championship hopes. However, injuries have piled up. Left-handed ace Son Joo-young began the season with an oblique injury, closer Yu Young-chan underwent elbow surgery, and key hitters Moon Sung-joo and Moon Bo-kyung are also out.
To rebuild a bullpen shaken by Yu’s absence, Yeom decided to use Son Joo-young as the closer. On May 12, before the game against Samsung, he announced that Son, who returned from injury on May 9, would take over the closer role.
But LG’s problems recently extend beyond the bullpen. The lineup is slumping too. Losing Moon Sung-joo and Moon Bo-kyung is a factor, but other key hitters are also in collective decline. Only Austin Dean has been performing consistently.
Hong Chang-ki. © Yonhap News
In this game, the lineup was stifled again. The warning signs came early in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki showed visible frustration over a high strike zone call on the ABS system, striking out swinging and angrily reacting in the dugout. Other batters struggled to produce hits and score runs.
Trailing 0-1 in the fifth inning, LG finally got two on with no outs, thanks to consecutive walks by Samsung starter Choi Won-tae. But Park Hae-min, known for his bunting skills, failed to execute, hitting an infield fly on a 2-strike count. Lee Jae-won then struck out, and Park Dong-won grounded out to third.
In the sixth, LG had another chance. A single by Hong Chang-ki and a walk to Koo Bon-hyuk put runners on first and second with no outs. Austin Dean stepped to the plate, the team’s best hope. But even Austin hit into a double play, extinguishing the rally. LG managed only one run for the game, losing by eight runs.
Over the past two weeks, LG’s bullpen struggles have prevented them from building momentum. Using Son Joo-young as the closer is a desperate move to climb back into contention. But the real problem is the offense. While batters’ form typically fluctuates, the current slump is severe. If this continues, Son may have long idle periods, never getting a chance to close. For LG to compete for the top spot, the lineup must rebound first.
Yeom Kyung-yup. © Yonhap News
