The LG Twins won their regular-season home finale behind a three-hit performance from rookie catcher Lee Ju-heon in his first career start.
LG won 6-3 at home against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Saturday.
LG catcher Lee Ju-heon, a 2022 third-round pick out of Seongnam High School, went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in his first career start.
Lee, who entered active duty in October of his rookie year and was released from active duty in April of this year, showed promise in the Futures League this season, batting .284 with six home runs and 21 RBIs to earn a spot on the first team.
Lee made his first-team debut as a substitute against the Jamsil Hanwha Eagles on May 25 and started at No. 8 catcher.
After hitting a sharp line drive to left field in the bottom of the second inning with the bases loaded and the score tied at 0-0, Lee hit an RBI double in his first at-bat, and in the top of the fifth inning with the score tied at 1-1, he lined a single through the infield past the second baseman.
After Lee’s single put runners on first and third, LG scored on an infield grounder by pinch-hitter Austin Dean to make it 2-1.
Lee didn’t stop there, hitting a two-run double to left field in the top of the seventh inning to complete his three-hit, two-RBI performance.
LG gave up a tying two-run homer to Jang Jae-young in the top of the eighth, but Moon Bo-kyung’s game-winning RBI double, Hong Chang-ki’s infield grounder and Koo Bon-hyuk’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth scored three runs to seal the victory.
On the mound, LG starter Eli Hernandez needed just five innings to strike out 10 batters, setting a new single-game strikeout record.
Hernandez held the Kiwoom bats to five hits, one walk and one earned run to pick up his fourth win of the season (2-2).
Kiwoom rookie starter Kim Yoon-ha earned his third quality start of the season (three earned runs or less over seven innings) with seven innings, seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and three runs allowed, but did not receive any offensive help.
With 21,593 fans in attendance for the final home game of the season, LG set a new season attendance record of 1.374 million, surpassing the Lotte Giants (1.381 million) in 2009. 안전놀이터