Dominant week sees LG Twins narrow gap with leading Landers

Baseball

Published: 16 May. 2022, 15:26 Updated: 16 May. 2022, 17:00

Dominant week sees LG Twins narrow gap with leading Landers

LG Twins outfielder Lee Jae-won picked up four hits in four at-bats for two runs and four RBIs as the Twins took on the Kia Tigers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sunday. [ILGAN SPORTS]

The LG Twins won five of six games last week to move within striking distance of the first place SSG Landers, who lost two series in a row in the Incheon club's first real stumble this season.

The Twins' run of good form leaves the Seoul club just 2.5 games behind the Landers at the top of the KBO, with the club's eight wins in the last 10 games beaten only by the fifth-place Samsung Lions.

The Twins started their week by sweeping the ninth-place Hanwha Eagles — 9-1, 5-2, 11-7 — to push their winning streak to six games. That run ended on Friday, when the Kia Tigers beat the Twins 10-1 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul, but the Twins came back to win the next two games — 5-3, 6-3 — to take the series.

But while the Twins steadily narrowed the gap, the Landers started their week with three close games against the fifth-place Lions. The Landers took the first game 3-1 on Tuesday, but lost a close contest 6-5 on Wednesday and dropped the rubber match 4-2 on Thursday.

Taking on the ninth-place NC Dinos at home over the weekend should have given the Incheon club a chance to regroup, but a 6-2 loss on Friday immediately had the Landers on the back heel. SSG managed a close 2-1 win on Saturday, but the Dinos took the rubber match 8-7 on Sunday to leave the Landers with two straight losses and a far less comfortable lead.

The third-place Doosan Bears started their week on the right foot by sweeping the sixth-place Kiwoom Heroes — 9-0, 5-1, 3-2 — but then ran into the resurgent Lions over the weekend. With Friday's game canceled, the Bears lost both games over the weekend — 4-0, 4-3 — to the fifth-place team.

Joining the Bears in third place, the Lotte Giants won both of their series last week, beating the Dinos on Tuesday and Wednesday — 7-0, 6-5 — before losing the third game 4-2 on Thursday. The Busan club repeated the pattern over the weekend, beating the Eagles 8-1 on Friday and 8-5 on Saturday before losing 8-4 on Sunday.

The sixth-place Heroes and eighth-place KT Wiz faced off over the weekend, with the Seoul club sweeping the reigning champions — 7-5, 3-0, 5-1. That series capped off a tough week for the Wiz, who also lost their midweek series against the Tigers by two games to one.

The Landers head to Jamsil this week where they take on the Bears in a midweek series that, based on recent form, could further narrow their lead. The Twins, meanwhile, face a far easier draw as they travel to Suwon, Gyeonggi to face the Wiz.

The Giants will stay home as they receive a visit from the Tigers, while the Lions head to Daejeon to take on the Eagles. Heading further south, the Heroes will travel down to Changwon, South Gyeongsang to face the Dinos.

The weekend promises to offer more excitement as all four top teams take on each other. The Twins will visit the Landers in Incheon for a first-second series, while the Giants head to Jamsil to take on the Bears. The Lions and Heroes face potentially easier clashes as they play the Wiz and Eagles, respectively, while the Dinos take on the Tigers.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]