The LG Twins suffered a disappointing 1-9 loss against the Samsung Lions on May 12 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, as their bullpen once again faltered under pressure.
In the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season matchup, LG’s offense struggled against Samsung starter Choi Won-tae, failing to generate significant scoring opportunities. Despite this, starting pitcher Lim Chan-gyu kept the game close, allowing just one run through 6⅔ innings. Lim gave up a double to Koo Ja-wook and an RBI single to Lewin Diaz in the first inning but managed to stabilize afterward.
Kim Yoon-sik entered in relief and delivered 1⅓ scoreless innings. The offense finally tied the game at 1-1 in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Park Hae-min.
The eighth inning proved disastrous for LG. With the game tied, manager brought in Jang Hyun-sik. Jang walked leadoff hitter Kim Sung-yoon and, after recording two outs, intentionally walked Diaz. He then allowed an infield single to Park Seung-gyu, loading the bases. A slider to Jeon Byung-woo caught too much of the plate, and Jeon crushed it for a grand slam, putting Samsung up 5-1.
The nightmare continued in the ninth. Ham Deok-joo took the mound and immediately surrendered a solo home run to Lee Jae-hyun. He then allowed back-to-back singles to Park Se-hyuk and Kim Sung-yoon before giving up an RBI single to Koo Ja-wook. Choi Hyung-woo followed with another RBI single, and Diaz added a single to reload the bases. Ham was finally pulled for Kim Jin-soo, who allowed an additional run, making it 9-1. LG failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, sealing a lopsided defeat.
The Twins had relied heavily on closer Yoo Young-chan early in the season to win tight games and maintain their lead in the standings. Yoo was dominant in 13 appearances, posting 11 saves and a 0.75 ERA. However, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his elbow after complaining of pain last month and underwent season-ending surgery.
With Yoo out, LG implemented a closer-by-committee approach, hoping that free agent acquisition Jang Hyun-sik and extension signee Ham Deok-joo would step up. Jang signed a four-year, 5.2 billion won deal (no options) last season, while Ham inked a four-year, 3.8 billion won contract.
But both have struggled significantly this season. Jang has a 4.67 ERA over 18 games (3 wins, 2 losses, 7 holds, 2 saves), with a FIP of 5.38 that suggests even worse performance. Ham, who missed most of the past two seasons due to injury, has a 7.43 ERA over 17 games (1 win, 1 loss, 2 holds, 1 save).
The poor performances from the expensive duo have left LG without a reliable closer. The team has experimented with Lee Jung-yong, Kim Yoon-sik, and Kim Young-woo, but no clear solution has emerged. With the bullpen in shambles and nearly 9 billion won invested in two underperforming relievers, LG faces a critical challenge in maintaining their championship hopes.