The Kiwoom Heroes held off the Doosan Bears, who needed a win to stay in the hunt for third place. Kiwoom won 6-5 away from home against Doosan at Jamsil Stadium on March 3.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for 10th-ranked Kiwoom and improved their record to 56 wins, three draws and 81 losses. Fourth-ranked Doosan, on the other hand, fell to 70 wins, two draws and 62 losses, unable to overtake the third-ranked NC Dinos (70 wins, two draws and 61 losses).
Kiwoom took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Kim Hwi-jip hit a two-run double off Doosan starter Choi Seung-yong, but Doosan battled back with a big inning in the bottom of the third.
Kiwoom Heroes’ Lim Ji-yeol hits the game-winning hit against the Doosan Bears on March 3. [Photo courtesy of Newsis].
With runners on first and third off Kiwoom starter Lee Jong-min, Yang Ji-joo hit a two-out double to score a run, and in the next at-bat, Yang Suk-hwan and Kang Seung-ho hit back-to-back singles to make it a 3-2 game.
More runs followed. With runners on first and second, Kim In-tae hit a two-run double to make it 4-2. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jung Soo-bin hit an RBI single to make it 5-2.
Kiwoom didn’t let up. In the top of the seventh inning, they loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Lee Young-ha, and Roy Dawson hit a sacrifice fly to score a run and start the chase.캡틴토토
Pang Sang-soo, who was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the KBO baseball game between the Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil Stadium on Wednesday, runs to greet Doosan’s Yang Yang-ji (catcher) after throwing out the first pitch. [Photo by Yonhap News].
The next batter, Lee Ju-hyung, singled to cut the deficit to 4-5. In the top of the eighth inning, Kim Tae-jin hit a grounder to shortstop, but a Doosan fielding error allowed Lim Ji-yeol to come home and tie the game at 5-5.
Kiwoom regained the lead in the top of the ninth when Lim Ji-yeol hit an RBI single to make it 6-5. In the bottom of the ninth, Lim Chang-min took the mound and struck out the side to end the Doosan offense and preserve the Kiwoom victory.
With the save, Lim earned his 25th save of the season (2-2, 1-0), while Kim Jae-woong, who pitched the bottom of the seventh inning as the fourth pitcher, earned his second win of the season (3-6, 17-0).
Kiwoom Heroes’ Lee Jung-hoo, who was rehabbing after surgery for an ankle injury, was added to the first team roster for the away game against the Doosan Bears on March 3. [Photo by Jung So-hee].
Kiwoom’s Lee Jung-hoo, who has been focusing on rehabilitation after undergoing surgery for an ankle injury, was named back to the first team roster on Wednesday. Lee did not appear in the game.
Baseball starting pitchers on Day 4
Incheon SSG Landers Field: Choi Sung-young (NC Dinos)-Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG Landers) △Suwon Katie Wiz Park: Thomas Pinoni (KIA Tigers)-Bae Je-seong (KT Wiz) DH1 △Daegu Samsung Lions Park: Felix Sanchez (Hanwha)-Kim Seo-joon (Samsung Lions) △Sajik Stadium: Casey Kelly (LG Twins)-Lee In-bok (Lotte Giants)