“Everyone didn’t give up and made a good result.”
Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yeop praised the players who led the team to its fifth consecutive victory by coming from behind to beat the “difficult enemy” KIA Tigers for two consecutive days. Doosan came from behind to beat KIA Tigers 9-8 at the second game of the weekend series held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Sunday. Due to starter Kim Yu-seong’s sluggish performance, the team beat KIA’s new foreign pitcher Cam Aldred, turning the game around. Doosan won all of its five extra games with 1,189 minutes (19 hours and 49 minutes) in the aftermath of the three extra games this week alone. Doosan, ranked third with 37 wins, 27 losses and two draws overall, and is lagging behind Kia Tigers (36 wins, 26 losses and 1 draw) in winning percentage without a game difference. If the team holds the final game of the three consecutive games against KIA on Saturday, it will push KIA to the third place and move up to the second place.
While starting pitcher Kim Yu-seong allowed only two runs on 21 pitches, three hits and two outs during the first ⅓ of the ⅔, bullpen pitchers showed stellar performance in relay. Kim Myung-shin allowed six hits (one homer) and one strikeout and three runs in 50 pitches, while starting in the fifth inning, Lee Young-ha (1 inning), Kim Kang-ryul (1 ⅓ inning), Lee Byung-hun (1 run in 1 inning), Choi Ji-gang (⅔ inning), Park Jung-soo (⅔ inning), Lee Kyo-hoon (two runs in the first ⅔ inning) and Kim Taek-yeon (⅔ inning) continued to throw to keep the win. The winning pitcher is Kim Myung-shin, and the saving pitcher is Kim Taek-yeon.
In the batting lineup, Yang Eui-ji, who started as the third designated hitter, stood out. He led the team win by recording three hits and two RBIs from four times at bat. Lee Yoo-chan and Cho Su-haeng, who were the eighth and ninth batters, both had two hits and two RBIs, heating up the batting lineup. Henry Ramos, the first batter, also had one hit and two RBIs from four times at bat.
Doosan began its counterattack in the bottom of the third inning when it was losing 0-5. After the batting order turned once, Doosan hitters began to attack Aldred’s ball. After one out in the bottom of the third inning, Cho Su-haeng got a walk, stole second base and shook Aldred at the next Ramos at bat. Ramos then hit a timely hit to the right-center and chased it 1-5. With one out and one out, Heo Kyung-min hit a left-handed hit that bounced wide in front of the third baseman, and at this time, the error in throwing to the left fielder overlapped, leading to the second and third bases with one out. With Yang Eui-ji and Kim Jae-hwan able to score multiple runs, Aldred revived as they only struck out a fly ball and a swing to the second baseman, respectively.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Aldred failed to overcome the final crisis. He gave up a hit to left by Yang Seok-hwan, and walks to Kim Ki-yeon and Kim Jae-ho in succession, putting him on the verge of loading the bases with no outs. He was approaching the 70-80 pitches that he had set as the limited number of pitches. Aldred allowed Lee Yoo-chan and Cho Su-haeng to hit a timely hit in the middle in succession, and Doosan followed closely with 3-5. As the crisis of loading the bases with no outs continued, Kia replaced the mound with Lim Ki-young.
Lim Ki-young made it 4-5 as he gave up a sacrifice fly to left field to Ramos, the first batter. With one out, second and third bases, Heo Kyung-min swallowed up the disappointment with only a fly ball to the second base, but two outs later, Yang Eui-ji hit a timely two-run double that fell to the left side of the left field, turning the game around 6-5.
Captain Yang Seok-hwan hit a homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. As the first batter, Yang hit Lim Ki-young’s fourth fastball at 137 kilometers per hour with the ball count 2-1. It was his second homer in two consecutive games and his 16th homer of the season. Thanks to this, Doosan advanced to 7-5.
In the bottom of the seventh inning after being chased 7-6, Yang ran away two more runs to seal the victory. Leading hitter Yang Eui-ji was replaced by pinch-runner Kim Tae-geun after playing a three-hit game with a hit to the left of the right field. The next batter, Jung Soo-bin, hit a grounder to the first base, and Yang Seok-hwan, was struck out with a swing and miss, making it two outs and second base. 고수익알바
With two outs, Lee focused on the game. Kim Ki-yeon and Kim Jae-ho walked in succession to load the bases with two outs. Then the lower-ranked lineup made it work. Lee Yoo-chan had an RBI single on shortstop’s left infield hit, making it 8-6. The initial decision was out by the batter, but the video review found it to be safe. Lee, who asked for a video review as he quickly entered the first base with headfirst sliding, was satisfied with the changed result and celebrated his birthday. KIA replaced its pitcher with Kim Geon-guk from Jang Hyun-sik, and Cho Su-haeng hit a timely hit to the right side with the bases loaded with two outs, making the team run 9-6.
Doosan played three extra games this week alone, and after two outs in the eighth inning, Doosan called up left-hander Lee Kyo-hoon. Lee got a hit by leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo in the top of the ninth inning, and the next batter, Lee Woo-sung, fired a fastball by shortstop Kim Jae-ho to make a straight hit, making it one out and first base. However, it allowed the next batter Socrates a two-run shot, narrowing the score to 9-8. Doosan eventually pulled out Kim Taek-yeon’s card, and Kim allowed Kim Sun-bin to hit the left-handed game again, making it one out and first base. The next batter Han Jun-su grounded out to the second base to make it two out, and Choi Won-jun swung and struck out with a swing, ending the game.
Coach Lee Seung-yeop said in an interview after the game, “It was a day to check the players’ amazing concentration. A tough game was expected as the starting pitcher went down early, but everyone didn’t give up and produced good results. The atmosphere changed drastically in the fourth inning when Lee Yoo-chan and Cho Su-haeng, the lower batting order, hit a series of timely hits with no outs and full bases. In the continued chances, Yang Eui-ji hit a double that turned the game around as expected. Lee Yoo-chan and Cho Su-haeng hit timely hits side by side in the seventh inning as well, and they have been doing so well in their respective positions recently.”
They thanked their fans. “A crowd of 10,000 people visited the stadium for two days a year. Thanks to their passionate cheering, the players were able to cheer up and continue their winning streak. Thank you.”
Yang Eui-ji, who was selected as the best training player, said, “I had a hard time physically this week, but I think the three extra-time wins motivated the players a lot.” Again today (on the 8th), the players were able to win because they all kept their focus. I think the team has become stronger thanks to this week. In particular, young players are doing really well. I want to take this opportunity to thank them and say that they are doing well.”