The leading KIA Tigers raised the probability of going straight to the Korean Series in professional baseball to 76.5%.
KIA won 6-4 at home against the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank Lotte Giants at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 22nd with Socrates Brito’s two-run come-from-behind timely hit in the bottom of the eighth inning with no outs and a full base.
Having grabbed six consecutive wins, Kia has secured 70 wins (two draws and 46 losses) for this season. Up until last year, teams with 70 wins or less had a chance to advance to the Korean Series, which amounts to 76.5 percent (26 times out of 34).
Lotte scored three runs first by combining Son Sung-bin’s infield grounder, Yoon Dong-hee’s hit to the middle, and Ko Seung-min’s priority double in the second inning with a walk and a double.
In the third inning, Victor Reyes hit a mid-wall solo shot in a 4-0 run.
KIA, which was being dragged by Lotte starter Charlie Barnes, followed Lee Woo-sung’s double to the left in the fourth inning with two outs and a second base. 안전놀이터
Kim Tae-gun hit a solo shot to left in the fifth inning and Kim Do-young hit a change-up shot to right in the sixth inning, respectively, leading KIA to 3-4 with his solo shot to right. Kim hit his 32nd homerun to rank second overall in this category.
Unlike KIA, which put starter Kim Do-hyun down in the fifth inning and kept four scoreless innings with three relief pitchers, Kim Ki-hoon, Choi Ji-min and Jeon Sang-hyun, Lotte was completely defeated in the bullpen fight after Barnes.
Lotte’s third pitcher Kim Sang-soo took the mound in the eighth inning and received consecutive hits to the right by Park Chan-ho and Kim Sun-bin, causing crisis on the first and third bases with no outs. Kim Do-young also walked the batter’s box to Jin Hae-soo with the bases loaded.
Socrates pushed Jin Hae-soo’s outer ball to the left field, sending two runners home. Soon after, Na Sung-bum hit a timely RBI single in the same direction, widening the gap to 6-4.
KIA closer Jung Hae-young took the mound in the ninth inning and cooked Son Ho-young with a double play and harvested his 25th save of the season.