The KIA Tigers and LG Twins met in Game 3 of their best-of-five series, with the Tigers leading 2-0. The series shifted to Seoul, where the Tigers had a chance to complete the sweep and potentially play the final game ever at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

After Twins starter Carlos Carrasco and Tigers starter Keisho Shirakawa threw scoreless first innings, the Tigers exploded offensively in the second.

Leading off the top of the second, Sung-bum Na hit a solo home run to open the scoring.

After a flyout, the next three Tigers hitters reached on an error, a single and a walk to load the bases. Jung-woo Park followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0, prompting the Twins to pull Carrasco.

Starting pitching was a major question mark for the Twins entering the series, and the team struggled mightily. In Games 2 and 3, Twins starters combined to pitch just 1 2/3 innings.

Jon Kennedy entered in relief and allowed an RBI single to Jae-hyun Park, extending the Tigers’ lead to 3-0. That brought up Tigers superstar Do-yeong Kim, a potential KBO MVP who had hit two home runs in Game 1. With a chance to deliver another major blow to the Twins, Kim did just that.

He launched an 89 mph pitch over the left-center field wall for a grand slam, nearly clearing Jamsil Baseball Stadium entirely. The 475-foot home run tied the record for the longest home run in KBO postseason history.

Kim’s grand slam gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Carrasco was charged with five runs, four of them earned.

With a commanding lead, Shirakawa continued to deliver for the Tigers. He pitched five-plus innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out nine. His performance continued a strong run of starting pitching for the Tigers throughout the series, in stark contrast to the Twins’ struggles on the mound.

The Tigers extended their lead to 8-0 in the fifth on an error before Na hit his second home run of the night in the sixth to make it 9-0.

The Twins scored once in the bottom of the sixth, but the Tigers immediately responded when Jun-su Han led off the seventh with a solo home run to restore their nine-run advantage.

The Tigers added three more runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk and a two-run double by Min Park, extending their lead to 13-1.

With a 12-run lead entering the ninth, Dong-ha Hwang took the mound to record the final three outs. He got Bon-hyeok Gu to fly out to end the game, completing the Tigers’ sweep of the LG Twins in the semifinal playoff round and advancing them to the best-of-five playoff series against the Samsung Lions.

The sweep extended the Tigers’ winning streak against the Twins to 10 games and ended LG’s hopes of repeating as champions. Shirakawa earned the win, becoming the first Japanese pitcher to record a postseason victory in KBO history.

Starting pitching and star performances proved decisive in the series. Kim went 3-for-9 with three home runs, eight RBIs and two walks. Austin Dean, meanwhile, went 1-for-11 with one RBI.

The Twins’ starting pitchers posted a 14.85 ERA, while the Tigers’ rotation finished with a 1.93 ERA. When the Tigers needed their stars to deliver, they came through.

The loss also made Game 3 the final game ever played at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The historic venue had hosted KBO games every season since the league’s inaugural campaign in 1982 and is scheduled to be demolished later this year.

Game 1 of the Tigers’ best-of-five series against the Samsung Lions is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Daegu. The winner will advance to face the KT Wiz in the Korean Series in November.