The Doosan Bears extended their winning streak to six games and swept the Kia Tigers. The Bears were one hit shy of a two-game cycling hit streak.
Doosan won 8-3 on Sunday against the KIA Tigers at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju. Tied for fifth place with SSG Landers, Doosan improved to 63 wins (1 tie, 57 losses) on the season, knocking the fourth-place KIA Tigers (60 wins, 2 ties, 56 losses) down the standings. If SSG drops both games of its doubleheader against the LG Twins, Doosan will move into fourth place. SSG will be fifth and KIA will be sixth. For now, Doosan has secured fifth place.
KIA’s starting lineup was Kim Do-young (shortstop), Choi Won-joon (right fielder), Na Sung-beom (designated hitter), Choi Hyung-woo (left fielder), Socrates Brito (center fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Hwang Dae-in (first baseman), Byun Woo-hyuk (third baseman), and Han Jun-soo (catcher). Byun Woo-hyuk, who had been called up the day before, was in the starting lineup.
For Doosan, Jung Soo-bin (center field), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Yang Seok-hwan (first base), Yang Ji (catcher), Jose Rojas (left field), Kang Seung-ho (second base), Heo Kyung-min (third base), Park Jun-young (designated hitter), and Cho Su-hyun (right field) started. Kim Jae-hwan, who has been struggling lately, was left out of the lineup and Park Jun-young was named the designated hitter.
This was to take advantage of KIA starter Thomas Pannoni. He had faced Pannoni in the previous game against KIA on June 6 and was held to three hits and no runs in six innings.
“Pannoni has a little bit of a high batting average against lefties, and (Kim) Jae-hwan was struggling, and (Park) Jun-young was showing good form and picking the ball well, so we put him in the starting lineup,” said Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop.
Doosan’s plan worked. Fanoni struggled, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits (two homers) with one walk and five strikeouts in five innings.
Doosan starter Raul Alcantara allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings.
Alcantara was followed on the mound by Kim Myung-shin (1 inning of scoreless relief), Kim Kang-ryul (⅔ inning of scoreless relief), Hong Gun-hee (1 inning of scoreless relief), and Jung Chul-won (⅓ inning of scoreless relief) to preserve the win.
After Pannoni, KIA used Yoon Jung-hyun (⅔ innings, no runs), Kim Dae-yu (⅓ innings, one run, unearned), Kim Seung-hyun (⅔ innings, no runs), Kwak Do-gyu (⅔ innings, one run), and Jang Hyun-sik (1⅓ innings, one run).
Doosan struck first with a home run in the second inning. Kang Seung-ho, who recorded the KBO’s first reverse natural cycling hit (home run, triple, double, single) against KIA on April 15, took a low curveball from Pannoni over the left field fence. It was Seung-ho Kang’s seventh home run of the season. Kang Seung-ho then added a double and a single, looking for his first career two-game cycling hit, but came up short.
KIA answered right back with a run of their own. Leadoff hitter Kim Sun-bin reached on an infield single, and Byun Woo-hyuk and Han Jun-soo followed with back-to-back singles to tie the game at 1-1.
Doosan added another run in the top of the third. One out later, Cho Su-hyun singled to center field and Kim Jae-ho reached on an error by the third baseman. Yang Seok-hwan followed with an RBI single to regain the lead at 2-1.
In the top of the fifth, Doosan’s lineup card paid off. Park Jun-young led off with a home run over the left field fence, followed by singles by Cho Su-hyun and Jung Soo-bin, a sacrifice bunt by Kim Jae-ho, and an RBI double by Yang Seok-hwan to make it 6-1.
KIA responded with a home run of their own. Two batters later, Choi Won-jun singled and Na Sung-beom took a forked ball from Alcantara and smashed it over the right field fence. It was Na’s 18th arching shot of the season.
In the top of the seventh, Doosan capitalized on another KIA error. Jung Soo-bin hit a grounder to the pitcher, followed by a throwing error. Yang Seok-hwan followed with a single. It appeared to be a home run as it hit the top of the left field fence, but the video review upheld it as a hit.
Doosan increased its lead to 7-3 in the top of the eighth inning with singles by Kang Seung-ho and Heo Kyung-min and an infield single by Cho Su-hyun. Jung Soo-bin then singled to load the bases, but the next batter was stranded.먹튀검증
Doosan drove a wedge into the game in the top of the ninth inning when Yang Ji-soo hit a solo home run off Jang Hyun-sik. With the home run, Yang reached 2,700 career hits. The 31st all-time.
KIA loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth after Byun Woo-hyuk and Lee Chang-jin singled and Choi Won-joon walked. Doosan brought in closer Chung Chul-won, who got the final out without allowing a run. Chung earned his ninth save of the season.