After a nine-game winning streak, the Kia Tigers bounced back from a brief hiatus.
The Tigers rallied to beat the LG Twins 7-6 in the first game of a doubleheader in the Baseball World Series 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Monday.
After taking a 5-2 lead only to see it slip away with four runs in the seventh inning, KIA rallied to win the game in the bottom of the eighth.
In the eighth inning, LG right-handed reliever Yoo Young-chan got the first batter, Socrates Brito, to ground out to second base.
However, Kim Sun-bin changed the momentum with a single to left-center field, and Lee Woo-sung followed with an infield hit that deflected off the first baseman’s mitt to put runners on first and second.
Ko Jong-wook, pinch-hitting, took advantage of a forked ball from Yoo Young-chan and lined a single to right to tie the game at 6-6.
Kim Tae-gun followed with a single to left field.
With runners on first and second in the eighth inning, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop brought in closer Go Woo-seok. It was Yeom’s move to prevent a comeback.
However, Yeom’s hopes were dashed as Park Chan-ho took a curveball from Go Woo-seok and hit a game-winning single to center field.
In the top of the ninth, LG’s leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki walked and Shin Min-jae laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second.
However, KIA closer Jung Hae-young struck out both Kim Hyun-soo and pinch-hitter Seo Gun-chang on infield grounders to preserve the win.
Both teams fought hard on this day.
It was KIA who took control of the game.
KIA opened the scoring in the third inning with a solo shot to left by Hwang Dae-in and scored on a double to right by Na Sung-beom.
In the top of the fourth inning, LG shortstop Oh Ji-hwan’s throwing error on Lee Woo-sung’s grounder to third led to a run.
After LG scored two runs in the fifth on back-to-back singles by Oh Ji-hwan, Park Dong-won and Moon Sung-joo, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Hong Chang-ki, KIA scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Lee Woo-sung’s double to left field, a stolen base, a walk by Hwang Dae-in, a single to right by Kim Tae-gun and a wild pitch by Jung Woo-young to extend the lead to 5-2.
Leader LG fought back hard.
In the top of the seventh inning, LG got one run back on Park Dong-won’s 20th home run of the season. Park became the first LG catcher to hit 20 homers in 13 years since Jo In-sung (28) in 2010.
After Moon Sung-ju drew a walk and Park Hae-min, who was ruled out on a foul tip, was overturned after video review, LG had runners on first and second.
Hong Chang-ki singled to right, and Park Hae-min, who had reached third, scored on a throwing error by the KIA infield as Song was heading for second base, tying the game at 5-5.
After Shin Min-jae was hit by a pitch and stole second and third, Kim Hyun-soo’s grounder to the second baseman brought home Hong Chang-ki to give LG a 6-5 lead.
However, KIA did not give up and scored two runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game again.
Fifth-ranked KIA, which had lost two straight games after winning nine in a row, added a valuable point. 파워볼게임