The Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization kept their postseason hopes alive with a one-run victory over the Samsung Lions.
KIA won 2-1 at home against Samsung in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Monday.
On the day, Kia invited its rookie players for the 2024 season and presented them with the victory.
The sixth-ranked Kia, which has won two straight, has a season record of 68 wins, 67 losses, and two ties.
The game was a pitcher’s duel.
KIA struck first with rookie Yoon Young-chul and Samsung with foreign pitcher Taylor Widener.
With one out in the fourth inning, Socrates Brito drew a walk, stole second base, and moved to third on an infield single by Lee Woo-sung.
He came home on Han Jun-soo’s RBI single.
After being held scoreless by Yoon Young-chul through five innings, Samsung tied the game in the sixth when Ryu Ji-hyuk doubled and Kang Min-ho singled.
In the end, the bullpen proved to be the difference.
After holding Samsung starter Widener to one run on six hits and two walks in seven innings, KIA got on the board in the eighth when leadoff hitter Kim Sun-bin drew a walk to reliever Kim Tae-hoon.
A double by Lee Woo-sung and an intentional walk by Lee Chang-jin loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Kim Tae-gun drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.
Choi Jeong-yong, the pinch-hitter for the third outfielder, drove in a run on a rather short outfield grounder.
In the ninth inning, Jung gave up a hit and a walk, but was able to get Kim Dong-yeop to foul out with runners on second and third to preserve the win.
With his 20th save of the season, Jung became the 15th pitcher in KBO history to record 20 saves in three consecutive years. 파워볼분석