“This is LG in the fall”: Austin’s big blast + Park Hae-min’s “insane defense” ... LG heads to Gwangju to face KIA

[Financial News] The LG Twins silenced the autumn surge of their “rivals under one roof,” the Doosan Bears, in just one game and advanced to the Semi-playoffs.
LG, which finished fourth in the regular season, defeated fifth-place Doosan 4-1 in Game 1 of the Wild Card (WC) Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 14th, led by a strong outing from starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco and a game-winning homer by Austin Dean. The game was part of the “2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Postseason.”
With the advantage it had brought into the Wild Card Series, LG wrapped it up in one game and secured a place in the Semi-playoffs. LG will play Game 1 of the best-of-five Semi-playoffs series against regular-season third-place Kia Tigers at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field at 2 p.m. on the 17th.



Fifth-place Doosan, making its first autumn baseball appearance in two years, lost the opening game, gave up its dream of an “upset” (a lower-ranked team beating a higher-ranked one) and ended its 2026 season. Doosan’s autumn will not continue at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which is set to be demolished after this year.
The game was decided early, in the first inning. In the bottom of the first, LG leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki got things started by reaching base after being hit by a pitch. Austin followed and crushed a 128-km/h curveball from Doosan ace Kwak Bin over the left-field wall for a go-ahead two-run homer. That home run went on to be the game-winning hit.



On the mound, LG starter Carrasco, pitching after four days of rest, turned in a standout performance. He did his part, holding Doosan’s lineup in check over six innings, allowing four hits, one walk and one run. Doosan starter Kwak Bin also settled down after giving up a home run in the first and held on for two runs on three hits and four walks or hit batters, striking out an impressive 10 through the sixth. But with his offense held quiet, he took the loss.
Doosan had its chances, too. Trailing 0-2 in the top of the seventh, it loaded the bases with one out after consecutive hits by Yunio Severino and Yang Eui-ji, followed by a hit batter, Kang Seung-ho. Yang Seok-hwan then sent a deep ball toward center, but LG center fielder Park Hae-min chased it down and made a spectacular catch. Doosan managed just one run on the play and could not turn the momentum around.


After escaping the threat, LG put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. With runners on first and third and one out after a Song Chan-ui single, a sacrifice bunt by Koo Bon-hyeok and a Park Dong-won single, Shin Min-jae laid down a perfectly placed bunt single to bring the runner from third home. Doosan reliever Lee Young-ha then hurt his own team with two wild pitches, allowing the runner on third, Park Dong-won, to score comfortably and extend LG’s lead to 4-1.
Kim Kang-ryul took the mound in the top of the ninth and retired Doosan in order, allowing LG to share the joy of reaching the Semi-playoffs with the fans filling Jamsil.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter