(LEAD) Twins beat Seoul rivals Bears to grab KBO wild card, reach next postseason round

Carlos Carrasco, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher known as "Cookie," delivered a stellar performance for his new South Korean team, the LG Twins, leading them to secure the wild card in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason on Wednesday. Pitching six strong innings, Carrasco allowed just one run, with relief pitcher Jon Kennedy handling the seventh inning to keep the damage to a minimum.

Carrasco, who signed with the Twins in late July, had amassed 112 wins in MLB, the highest number among non-Korean pitchers to join the KBO. His performance signified his first meeting with the rival Doosan Bears since their previous encounter, where he had pitched a perfect game. Despite surrendering a single to the first batter, Park Chan-ho, Carrasco managed to keep the Bears in check, allowing only one more single in the subsequent five shutout frames.

The Twins' first real challenge arrived in the seventh inning, when Kennedy entered the game and pushed the Bears to score their first run, but it was limited to just one. Carrasco's impressive control of various pitches, including his cutters, changeups, fastballs, sliders, and curveballs, showcased his resilience and dominance in the game.