LG Twins snapped their extra-inning losing streak with a dramatic 9-8 victory over the Hanwha Eagles on May 8 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark. Park Hae-min delivered the decisive hit with two outs in the 11th inning, while rookie reliever Kim Jin-su earned his first career save in a game that lasted over five hours.
The win marked LG’s first extra-inning triumph of the 2026 KBO season after losing their previous three extra-inning contests, all by walk-off. The game featured multiple lead changes, clutch hitting, and a combined 32 hits, with Hanwha’s Lee Min-woo pitching 3⅓ innings of gutsy relief (62 pitches) but ultimately coming up short.
LG took an early 3-0 lead in the second and fourth innings, highlighted by a home-steal play from Park Hae-min. Hanwha responded with a five-run fourth, including a two-run homer by Noh Si-hwan. Austin Dean tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle.
Hanwha regained the lead in the sixth on a combination of a walk, a bloop single, and an LG fielding error. LG answered with a two-run single by Oh Ji-hwan in the seventh and an RBI double by Cheon Seong-ho in the eighth, making it 8-6. However, a two-out, run-scoring infield single by Kang Baek-ho in the eighth pulled Hanwha within one, and the Eagles eventually tied the game 8-8 in the ninth on a two-out rally.
In the 11th, LG loaded the bases with one out after singles from Austin and Oh. A groundout to third forced the runner at home, leaving two outs. Park Hae-min then lined a sharp single to center field, scoring the go-ahead run. Kim Jin-su pitched a scoreless bottom of the 11th for the save, his first as a professional.
Hanwha’s Lee Min-woo threw 62 pitches over 3⅓ innings, allowing no runs and keeping his team in the game, but the bullpen ultimately couldn’t hold the lead in extra innings.
Both teams used a combined 17 pitchers in the marathon contest, which saw a final score of 9-8. LG improved to 22-14, while Hanwha dropped to 16-20.
