Seoul: A day after experiencing their first losing streak of the season, the LG Twins rebounded with an impressive near no-hitter victory at home against the NC Dinos on Wednesday. Starter Song Seung-ki delivered six no-hit innings, while three relievers allowed only one hit, resulting in a 3-0 win for the Twins in front of 17,828 fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
According to Yonhap News Agency, relievers Park Myung-geun and Kim Jin-sung each contributed a hitless inning following Song's performance. However, closer Jang Hyun-sik surrendered a double to Kim Ju-won at the beginning of the ninth inning, narrowly missing a combined no-hitter. The Twins had previously achieved a combined no-hitter against the Samsung Lions on April 15 and were on the brink of becoming the first team to record two combined no-hitters in the same season.
The victory ended the Twins' two-game losing streak, improving their record to 19-6-0, the best in the KBO, while the Dinos fell to 8-13-0. The teams remained scoreless for the first four innings, with the Twins squandering multiple opportunities to score against starter Logan Allen. Despite having runners in scoring positions, they failed to capitalize until Park Dong-won scored an RBI in the fifth inning through an unconventional play.
Song Seung-ki, despite not allowing a hit, faced challenges, notably a two-out, two-on situation in the second inning after a walk and a fielding error. He effectively used his diverse pitching repertoire, throwing 94 pitches, and achieving a career-high seven strikeouts using fastballs, changeups, curveballs, forkballs, and sliders.
Park Myung-geun took over in the seventh inning, maintaining the Twins' lead, while Kim Hyun-soo hit a bases-clearing double following a balk in the bottom of the seventh, extending the lead to 3-0. Kim Jin-sung struck out the side in the eighth, and despite Jang Hyun-sik losing the no-hit bid, he secured the win by concluding the ninth inning.
Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb praised Song's "flawless" pitching and commended the relievers for their high-pressure performance. Kim Hyun-soo, who contributed significantly in the seventh inning, credited the win to Song and the bullpen, expressing gratitude towards the Twins' supportive fans. The team has sold out 12 of 15 home games, drawing 338,707 fans so far this season, and Kim expressed hope for continued success for the fans.