LG Twins manager Yum Kyung-youp apologized to the club's supporters after his team was swept out of the KBO postseason by the KIA Tigers, ending its defense of the Korean Series crown without a single win in the series, according to 뉴스핌.
The best-of-five playoff, which the Twins entered through the wild-card round, finished in three consecutive losses. Yum told reporters afterward that his lineup had been outmatched by KIA's, 뉴스핌 reported.
"I'm sorry we couldn't live up to the expectations fans had for us this season," the manager said, adding that the shortcomings would be addressed starting in fall training.
Why it matters
LG began the year chasing something the franchise had never achieved: winning both the regular-season pennant and the Korean Series in two consecutive seasons. The club took the regular-season title and the championship in 2023, ending a 29-year drought, then failed to repeat in 2024 before returning to the top last year. This fall's exit means the two-in-a-row goal has slipped away again.
The sweep also closed the book on postseason baseball at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which opened in 1982 and is slated for demolition and redevelopment into a domed venue. LG's final official KBO game at the park ended in a 12-run defeat, according to 뉴스핌.
A season that faded after the break
LG opened the season strongly, winning at a clip above .600 in the first half and staying among the league leaders. Injuries and slumps piled up after the midpoint, and the Twins finished the regular season in fourth place. They beat the Doosan Bears in the wild-card game to reach the playoff round but could not solve KIA.
The numbers were lopsided. LG scored five runs across the three games while conceding 24, per 뉴스핌. In Game 3, starter Carlos Carrasco lasted 1.1 innings and gave up five runs, four of them earned. Reliever John Kennedy then surrendered a grand slam to Kim Do-young as KIA put up seven runs in the top of the second inning alone.
Yum shuffled his batting order in an attempt to spark the offense, moving Oh Ji-hwan to the second spot, putting Song Chan-ui fourth and starting Moon Sung-joo. The changes did not take: LG managed eight hits but pushed across just one run, 뉴스핌 reported.
"Across the series, we were pushed back by KIA's hitting, and it became a difficult series for us," Yum said.
Growth from young bats, and a promise for next year
The manager did find something to take from the season. He named Song Chan-ui and Moon Jung-bin as the clearest gains, saying the two young hitters earned more playing time and established themselves as options in a lineup that was missing production from established regulars.
"Player growth has to happen for the team to improve and get results," Yum said, adding that he would make sure the club's direction is set so it can play better baseball next year.
He also acknowledged that this was not his first taste of a failed title defense. LG fell short of repeating in 2024 as well, and Yum said he had prepared with that experience in mind. "In the end, I think our preparation was lacking," he said, calling for a more urgent, harder-working approach.
The Twins now move into the offseason, with fall training as the first checkpoint Yum has named for fixing the problems that surfaced in October.
