Kiwoom Heroes beat LG Twins 7-6 to tie up playoff series

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Kiwoom Heroes beat LG Twins 7-6 to tie up playoff series

Song Sung-moon celebrates after hitting an RBI at the top of the second inning in Game 2 of the second round of the KBO playoffs against the LG Twins and Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Tuesday.  [YONHAP]

Song Sung-moon celebrates after hitting an RBI at the top of the second inning in Game 2 of the second round of the KBO playoffs against the LG Twins and Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

 
An offensive onslaught carried the Kiwoom Heroes to a tight 7-6 win over the LG Twins in Game 2 of the second round of KBO playoffs on Tuesday, tying the series at one game apiece.
 
The Heroes struck early at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul, capitalizing on defensive errors from the Twins to score six runs in the first two innings.
 
A throwing miscue by Twins catcher Yoo Kang-nam with runners on the corners allowed the Heroes to steal their first run at the top of the first.
 
The Heroes doubled down in the second inning, stringing together a single, a sacrifice bunt and another single to take the score to 2-0. Another single made it 4-0, with a double taking it to five.
 
A wild throw from Yoo allowed Lee Jung-hoo to make it home, taking the score to 6-0 and ending Twins starter Adam Plutko’s night in only the second inning.
 
Plutko left the mound having allowed eight hits and a walk off 13 batters.
 
The Twins started to chip away at the deficit in the third inning, with Chae Eun-seong doubling home two runners to get the home side on the board.  
 
The Heroes extended their lead to 7-2 in the fourth, before the Twins struck back with a big four-run fifth inning.
 
Kim Hyun-soo started things off with an RBI single to take the score to 7-3, before Heroes starter Eric Joksich threw a wild throw to first, allowing runners to advance to second and third and ending his spell on the mound.
 
A sac fly took the score to 7-4, with relief pitcher Yang Hyun giving up three straight walks to push it to 7-5. Another sac fly took it to 7-6, putting the Twins within one run of tying the score.
 
But neither side could get anything across as both bullpens rallied to hold the score at 7-6, allowing the Heroes to walk away with the win and tie the series at 1-1.
 
The Twins, who finished the regular season in second place, one spot ahead of the Heroes, won the first game 6-3 on Monday.
 
Like the Heroes on Tuesday, the Twins capitalized on some early runs — four in the first three innings — and defensive mistakes in that win, stringing together eight hits without a home run in the win.
 
The completion of the first two games ends the home stand for the Twins, with the series heading across town to Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Thursday.  
 
Games will be played there on Thursday and Friday and, if a fifth game is needed, the series will return to Jamsil on Sunday.
 
With 87 wins and 55 losses, the Twins have had a dominant season and maintain a winning head-to-head record against every other KBO team except the SSG Landers and, surprisingly, the eighth-place Lotte Giants.  
 
The Twins ended the season with 10 wins and six losses against the Heroes, beating them 6-3 in their last regular season game on Sept. 9.
 
As the second-place team, the Twins advanced straight to the second round of the playoffs, while the Heroes had to play their way through the first round against the KT Wiz.
 
That series turned out to be a grueling experience, stretching to five full games with the Heroes only edging out the Wiz in a 4-3 rubber match on Saturday, getting just one day of rest before coming up against the Twins.
 
The winner of the second round of the playoffs will move on to face the pennant-winning Landers in the Korean Series, kicking off on Nov. 1 and finishing by Nov. 9 at the earliest.

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