Doosan snaps 2-game losing streak by holding off LG in 9th inning
20-hit explosion puts 6th-ranked KIA half a game behind 5th-ranked SSG
‘전준우 4안타’ 롯데, ps 실낱 희망…5위 ssg에 3.5g 차

The Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) solidified their postseason hopes with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Seoul rival LG Twins.

Doosan won a 4-3 home game against LG in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium on Monday with a dramatic RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning after the score was tied 3-3.

Fourth-place Doosan, which has played 130 of the season’s 144 games, snapped a two-game losing streak and moved to within 2.5 games of third-place NC Dinos (70 wins, 2 draws, 57 losses, 0.551), who had the day off.

They also moved to within three games of fifth-place SSG Landers (65 wins, 3 draws, 63 losses, 0.508).

Meanwhile, top-ranked LG was unable to shave off the “magic number” of six to win the regular season title.

LG took the early lead.

After leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki singled to left-center and stole second, Park Hae-min doubled down the left field line and Kim Hyun-soo followed with a single to right to give LG a 2-0 lead.

Doosan answered right back after the offensive shift.

In the bottom of the first inning, Cho Su-hyun drew a walk and Jose Rojas hit a two-run home run to right field to tie the game at 2-2.

In his second at-bat of the inning, Rojas hit a solo home run off LG starter Im Chan-gyu to make it 3-2.

However, Doosan was unable to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in the fifth inning, when it had runners on first and second with no outs, and in the seventh inning, when it had runners on first and third with no outs.

As Doosan failed to capitalize, LG tied the game.

With runners on second and third in the eighth inning, Austin Dean lined a single to left to tie the game at 3-3.

The tie came down to the bottom of the ninth inning.

With the bases loaded, Doosan appeared to be headed for extra innings when pinch-hitter Kim In-tae retired on a short fly ball to center field.

However, two batters later, Cho Sung-hyun came up to bat and hit a line drive into the right field gap to end the hard-fought game.

Lotte No. 4 hitter Jeon Jun-woo went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

In Sajik, the Lotte Giants pounded out 17 hits in a 9-1 victory over the Hanwha Eagles.

Riding a three-game winning streak, seventh-ranked Lotte kept its postseason (PS) hopes alive.

Hanwha took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Choi In-ho, who led off with a walk, stole second base and Nick Williams followed with a single to left.

Lotte made it 1-1 with runners on second and third after a pitching change, then Jeon Jun-woo doubled to left and Niko Gudrum followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1.

After scoring two runs in the sixth on an error, Lotte added two more in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Kim Min-seok and Ahn Kwon-soo, and Lee Hak-joo capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth.

Jeon Jun-woo, Lotte’s No. 4 hitter, went 4-for-4 with two RBIs.

Lotte starter Han Hyun-hee pitched six innings of four-hit ball to earn his sixth win of the season (10-1).

Hanwha’s veteran reliever Jung Woo-ram is on pace to become the first KBO pitcher to appear in 1,000 games with 999 appearances.

KIA Socrates leads offense with 5 hits, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs

At Gocheok Dome, the KIA Tigers pounded out 20 hits in a 13-5 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes.캡틴토토

Sixth-ranked KIA, which tied a team record for most hits this season, moved within half a game of fifth-ranked SSG Landers.

KIA opened the scoring in the second inning when Socrates Brito doubled and scored on a subsequent grounder, and in the third, Byun Woo-hyuk hit a solo home run and Socrates followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Kiwoom tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth as Kim Hwijip doubled and Park Soo-jong tripled with runners on second and third.

However, KIA scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning, including a two-run double by Socrates, to take a 6-3 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Kiwoom Beasts took advantage of two errors and scored six runs, including a three-run homer by Go Jong-wook, to tie the game.