LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop has made sweeping changes to his starting lineup for Game 3 of the KBO semifinal playoff against the KIA Tigers, according to 머니투데이. The game follows two straight LG losses in Gwangju on October 17 and 18, leaving the Twins needing victories in all three remaining games to reach the playoff round. A single defeat ends their season.
The lineup announced for Game 3 lists Park Hae-min in center field, Oh Ji-hwan at shortstop, Austin at designated hitter, Song Chan-ui in left field, Moon Bo-kyung at third base, Moon Jung-bin at first base, Moon Seong-ju in right field, Park Dong-won at catcher and Koo Bon-hyuk at second base.
Why it matters
LG's season now hangs on a three-game sweep, and the manager's decisions at the plate carry unusual weight. Right field has been a revolving door through the series: Hong Chang-ki started Game 1, Lee Jae-won got the nod in Game 2, and Moon Seong-ju takes over in Game 3. According to 머니투데이, Hong has remained in a slump, while Lee, brought in for his power, struck out in all four of his plate appearances.
The No. 2 spot in the batting order has been LG's biggest headache not only in this series but across the entire season, Yeom said. With many observers suggesting Oh Ji-hwan should move up, the manager has installed him as the second hitter. "He'll break out today," Yeom said, according to 머니투데이.
Carrasco on the mound against a lefty-heavy KIA lineup
LG will start foreign right-hander Carrasco, 39, who joined the club in August and posted a 6-3 record with a 4.05 ERA over 11 appearances this season. He has faced KIA once this year, on October 3 at Jamsil, where he lasted 4⅓ innings, allowing seven hits, four strikeouts and four runs.
KIA, meanwhile, made its own adjustments. According to 머니투데이, manager Lee Bum-ho left Kim Ho-ryung out of the starting lineup entirely and installed Park Jung-woo in center field as the leadoff man, stacking the order with seven left-handed bats to target Carrasco. A win would send KIA to Daegu for the next round.
Yeom framed the series as a contest that must be won with the bats. "We have to be able to win in a slugfest," he said, according to 머니투데이. "I think the defensive side of the game has come out about even. Lim Chan-gyu collapsed early in Game 2, but we need two or three hitters to break the game open."
The manager also pointed to KIA's lineup as the standard his own batters must match, citing Kim Do-young, Park Jae-hyun and Castro as examples of hitters who have delivered.
What to watch
Whether Oh Ji-hwan can finally settle the No. 2 spot and whether Moon Seong-ju rewards the third different right-field choice of the series will decide if LG's season continues past Tuesday.
