Nexen beats LG to even baseball postseason series

The Nexen Heroes beat the LG Twins 5-1 to even their Korea Baseball Organization postseason series on Friday.

Starter Andy Van Hekken gave up just one run over 7 2/3 innings, and light-hitting outfielder Lim Byeong-uk blasted his first career postseason home run at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The clubs are now tied at 1-1, as the best-of-five first round series moves to LG's home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, for Game 3 at 2 p.m. Sunday.

After getting blanked 7-0 Thursday, the Heroes scored their first run off LG starter Woo Kyu-min in the bottom first on Friday, as speedy Ko Jong-wook scored all the way from first on a single by Kim Ha-seong. LG second baseman Son Joo-in bobbled the relay throw from right field, and though he wasn't charged with an error it gave enough time for Ko to sprint home.

Lim then doubled the lead with his bat in the bottom third, jumping on a 1-1 fastball from Woo and sending it over the left-center wall.

It was the first long ball by anyone this postseason. Lim hit just eight home runs in 104 regular season games this year.

The Heroes tagged on three more runs in the fourth, with leadoff man Seo Geon-chang delivering a two-run single with the bases full and Ko Jong-wook following up with a single of his own.

But the game belonged to Van Hekken, who retired 10 straight batters at one point and kept LG hitters off balance all night with his mix of fastball and forkball. He held the Twins to three hits and a run before handing the reins to his closer, Kim Se-hyun.

The Twins, who scored seven runs on nine hits on Thursday, grounded into two double plays Friday. They salvaged a run with a pinch-hit single by Seo Sang-woo in the eighth.

Woo lasted just 3 1/3 innings, and was charged with four earned runs on six hits and a walk.

He and the Twins' bullpen had no answer against the balanced attack of the Heroes. The first three hitters in their lineup -- Seo, Ko and Kim Ha-seong -- went a combined 6-for-10 with two runs scored and four RBIs. (Yonhap)