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Twins blank Eagles with strong pitching performance in Korean Series rematch

Published: 22 Apr. 2026, 22:11

LG Twins’ Lachlan Wells pitches during a game against the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on April 15. [NEWS1]

Starter Lachlan Wells fired eight innings of one-hit ball and Song Chan-eui blasted a two-run home run in just his third game of the season, as the LG Twins blanked the Hanwha Eagles 3-0 on Wednesday in a rematch of last year's Korean Series.

Wells struck out his season-high seven batters in front of a sellout crowd of 23,750 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The Australian left-hander improved to 2-1 for the season, lowering his ERA from 2.12 to 1.44.

With their third consecutive victory, the Twins improved to 14-6-0 (wins-losses-ties), while the Eagles, having lost two straight, fell to 8-12-0.

Song fired the opening salvo for the Twins in the bottom second with his two-run blast off starter Wang Yan-Cheng.

The Twins had run up the pitch count against Wang earlier that inning, with Oh Ji-hwan drawing a seven-pitch walk and Park Dong-won striking out on seven pitches. Song then ambushed the Taiwanese left-hander on a first-pitch fastball, sending it into the left field seats for his first dinger of 2026.

LG Twins’ Song Chan-eui hits a two-run single with one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Hanwha Eagles in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on April 21. [NEWS1]

After the Twins stranded two runners in the bottom third, the Eagles threatened in the top fourth against Wells, with a single and a walk giving them their first two base runners of the game.

But cleanup Kang Baek-ho hit a weak flyout to left, and with Chae Eun-seong at the plate, Moon Hyun-bin was picked off at first base by catcher Park Dong-won to end the rally.

The Twins were also undone by baserunning gaffes in the bottom fourth.

With Oh Ji-hwan at first after a leadoff walk, Park Dong-won slapped a single up the middle. Oh made an aggressive turn at second and was initially called safe on a slide into third. Park, trying to take an extra base on the play, was tagged out at second.

The Eagles challenged the call at third, while the Twins asked for a review at second — a rare occasion when two separate plays went to the replay center simultaneously — and both ended in the Eagles' favor, with Oh ruled out and the out call on Park confirmed.

Hanwha Eagles’ Kang Baek-ho hits against the LG Twins in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on April 21. [NEWS1]

The Twins did get the third run in the bottom fifth, courtesy of a misplay by Moon Hyun-bin in left field.

With two outs and Song at second, Moon Sung-ju lifted a seemingly harmless fly to left. But Moon Hyun-bin, who was playing shallow, appeared to lose track of the ball. He only got a piece of it as he backtracked before dropping the ball, allowing Song to score to make it a 3-0 game.

That was more than enough run support for Wells, who was efficient over his eight shutout innings.

After the Eagles threat in the fourth, Wells didn't allow a runner over the next four innings. Though Wells sat at just 84 pitches through eight, the Twins summoned closer You Young-chan for the ninth, and the right-hander pitched a clean ninth for his league-leading 11th save.

Yonhap