The LG Twins defeated the SSG Landers, who were once in a “two-way race” for second place, for the second straight day to solidify their dominance of the “first place” with an eight-game lead.
SSG suffered its fifth straight loss and dropped to third place behind KT WIZ.안전놀이터
KT WIZ, which beat the Hanwha Eagles on the same day, moved into second place for the first time in four months since April 8 (when it was 3-1).
Hanwha’s lead in the home run derby was overshadowed by Noh Si-hwan’s 29th home run of the season, a three-run shot. Noh is eight runs behind second-place Choi Jung-hwan (21) and 11 runs ahead of second-place LG Austin (74) with 85 RBIs.
LG defeated SSG 11-2 in a visiting game of the KBO Baseball 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Monday.
After taking the lead in the bottom of the second inning, LG broke the game open with five runs in the top of the third against SSG ace Kim Kwang-hyun.
With no outs and runners on first and second, Park Hae-min and Hong Chang-ki doubled to put runners on second and third. Shin Min-jae followed with a two-run double to right field.
After Kim Hyun-soo singled to right, Austin Dean walked and stole second, and Park Dong-won grounded out to shortstop to put runners on second and third, LG added another run on Moon Sung-joo’s double to left-center to make it 5-1.
LG pounded out 16 hits on the day, including five runs in the eighth inning on four hits and an error, to break down the SSG mound.
Kim Kwang-hyun took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in six innings.
SSG suffered its fifth straight loss in three years in front of a sellout crowd of 23,000 fans, its first since September 2020 (when it lost seven straight).
LG starter Lim Chan-kyu pitched five innings of six-hit ball to earn his 10th win of the season (2-2) and regain the title of “10-win pitcher” for the first time in three years since 2020 (10-9).
KT WIZ’s Kim Min-hyuk comes in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and hits a single to left field to start the comeback. [Courtesy of KT WIZ]
■ KT, which was ranked 10th until June 5, became the No. 2 ‘magic’ team in four months after April 8.
KT won 5-4 in extra innings against Hanwha in Daejeon.
KT, which was ranked 10th until June 5, has been on a magical run, rising to second place in 75 days.
The teams traded home runs until the middle of the game.
KT took a 2-1 lead with solos from Anthony Alford in the fourth and Oh Yoon-seok in the fifth, but Hanwha answered with a three-run homer in the fifth, the 29th of the season, to make it 4-2.
In the seventh inning, however, KT tied the game at 4-4 when Kim Min-hyuk singled to left and Oh Yoon-seok doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with no outs.
From there, the defense shined.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the KT center fielder picked off Choi Jae-hoon’s line drive to left-center field.
In the top of the 10th inning, he led off with a double to left field and stole third base. Kim Sang-soo followed with a triple to right-center field to score the winning run.
Doosan came back in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Kim Jae-ho’s game-winning two-run double with runners on second and third. (Yonhap)
■ Doosan’s Kim Jae-ho hits a game-winning two-run double with runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth inning to retake fifth place
The Doosan Bears and Kia Tigers are tied for fifth place after restoring their five-game winning streak.
Doosan snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the NC Dinos in a nightcap.
The Bears were dealt a blow when starter Choi Seung-yong left the game in the top of the third inning with a blister on his left middle finger, and Jung Soo-bin left the game early with an injury, but the Bears rode the strength of veteran Kim Jae-ho.
Kim Jae-ho, who played in his 41st KBO game and 1,400th career game, hit a two-run double down the right field line with runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth inning.
To add insult to injury, NC lost despite pitching ace Eric Peddie (six innings, four hits, two runs).
KIA got back to within five runs in the top of the seventh when pinch-hitter Lee Woo-sung hit a two-run shot. (Yonhap)
■ KIA scores five runs in the top of the seventh inning…Park Chan-ho ties the game and Soo Hoon-gap scores the winning run.
Park Chan-ho raced to third on Choi Won-joon’s single to right and came home on Na Sung-beom’s sacrifice fly to center field. It was the moment KIA took the lead at 6-5.
KIA came from behind to beat the Samsung Lions 6-5 in Gwangju.
After falling behind 1-5, including a three-run homer by Samsung’s Koo Ja-uk, KIA scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to turn the game around.
After Socrates Brito’s double and Kim Sun-bin’s infield single, KIA scored a run on Lee Chang-jin’s grounder to shortstop. Samsung shortstop Kim Dong-jin made a throwing error to first base, allowing Lee to stay at first base.
Kia manager Kim Jong-kook brought up left-handed pinch-hitter Ko Jong-wook to bat for Kim Tae-gun, but when Samsung switched pitchers to left-handed Lee Jae-ik, he brought up right-handed hitter Lee Woo-sung.
In the KBO, the pitcher must face at least one batter, but the pinch-hitter can be replaced again without even stepping up to the plate.
Lee took a two-seam fastball from Lee Jae-ik and launched a two-run shot over the left field wall.
It was KIA’s 4,500th home run in franchise history (second in KBO history).
Kim Do-young followed with a triple to center field, and Park Chan-ho tied the game at 5-5 with a single up the middle.
The next batter, Choi Won-joon, singled to right and Park advanced to third on a sacrifice fly to center field by Na Sung-beom. KIA took the lead for good at 6-5.
KIA starter Ahn Woo-jin pitched six innings of four-hit ball with three walks and three strikeouts to earn his eighth win of the season. (Yonhap)
■ Ahn Woo-jin pitches six innings and two runs for his eighth win…Kiwoom wins second straight in 27 days
The last-place Kiwoom Heroes defeated the Lotte Giants 5-2 at home in Gocheokdome.
This is the first time since August that Kiwoom has won back-to-back games, and the first time in 27 days since winning two straight against Busan Lotte on July 22-23.
Ahn Woo-jin, who was recalled from the first team on the nine-day disabled list, earned his eighth win of the season (seven starts) with six innings of four-hit ball, three walks and two strikeouts.
Closer Lim Chang-min, who pitched one hitless inning in the ninth, earned his 20th save of the season. It is the first time in six years that Lim has recorded 20 saves in a season since 2017 (29 saves) with the NC.