KIA Tigers Sweep LG After 13-1 Rout in KBO Semi-Playoff
KIA beat LG 13-1 with five home runs to complete a three-game KBO semi-playoff sweep and advance to face Samsung.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
The KIA Tigers overwhelmed the LG Twins 13-1 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, completing a three-game sweep of the 2026 KBO semi-playoff and advancing to face the Samsung Lions in the playoff round.
A seven-run second inning broke the clinching game open. Na Sung-bum started the surge with a solo home run before Kim Do-yeong delivered the inning’s biggest blow, a grand slam that turned a tense elimination game into a runaway.
Five home runs carry KIA into the next round
KIA finished with 16 hits and five home runs. Na homered twice and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Kim drove in four runs with his second-inning grand slam. Han Jun-su also homered and drove in two, and Park Jung-woo collected two hits and two RBIs.
The Tigers scored seven times in the second against LG starter Carlos Carrasco and reliever Jon Kennedy. Carrasco was charged with five runs, four earned, in 1 1/3 innings as the Twins fell behind before their lineup had a chance to answer.
KIA kept adding on: one run in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth. The Tigers’ 13 runs came on 16 hits, and they played error-free defense.
Shirakawa strikes out nine
Keisho Shirakawa protected the early lead with five strong innings. The right-hander allowed one run on four hits, walked none and struck out nine on 76 pitches. LG’s only run came in the sixth after Shirakawa left, when Austin Dean grounded out to bring home Gu Bon-hyeok.
KIA’s bullpen prevented any further damage, holding the Twins scoreless over the final four innings. LG finished with eight hits but drew only one walk and never mounted a sustained rally.
KIA advances to face Samsung
The victory completed a dominant sweep after KIA won the first two games in Gwangju, 5-1 and 6-3. The Tigers outscored LG 24-5 across the series and won all three games without trailing at the finish.
KIA will now meet the second-seeded Samsung Lions in another best-of-five round. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
For LG, the defeat ended its season and closed the book on the final KBO game at the 44-year-old Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which is scheduled for demolition after the 2026 campaign.
