The lone lead KIA Tigers ended the first half with a pleasant three-game winning streak.
KIA came from behind to win 8-3 in an away game against the Samsung Lions in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 4th.
KIA, which produced a turnaround against Samsung for three consecutive days, ranked first in the first half in seven years since 2017 with 48 wins, 33 losses, 2 draws and a 0.593 winning rate.
Except for 1999 and 2000 when the two major leagues were held since 1989, when the KBO League was conducted as a single league, the team that ranked first in the first half until last year reached the top of the Korean Series 21 times out of 35 times, recording a 60% chance of winning.
KIA (including whole body Haitai) ranked first in the first half of the six times (1989·1991·1993·2002, 2011 and 2017) and won the cup four times except 2002 and 2011.
It was a game in which KIA showed its afterthought once again.
Samsung scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning when Kim Ji-chan, who had an infield hit, homered with a follow-up ground ball following a steal to the second base.
KIA made it 1-1 in the top of the second inning when Choi Hyung-woo drew a superior solo arch.
Samsung led 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Kim Hun-gon and Koo Ja-wook hit “back-to-back” home runs.
KIA recovered one run with Kim Tae-gun’s right-handed hit in the top of the fourth inning.
In the eighth inning, Choi Hyung-woo’s double added another run to tie the score 3-3. 안전놀이터
KIA, which gained momentum, exploded against Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan in the top of the ninth inning.
After two outs, Kim Sun-bin doubled and Kim Do-young got on base with intentional pitches, and Park Jung-woo hit a two-run double that went over the height of the right field to turn it around 5-3.
KIA, which added one point with Hong Jong-pyo’s timely hit in the continued attack, decided the game with Socrates Brito shooting a two-run home run over the right-center field to run 8-3.
KIA’s third pitcher Hwang Dong-ha became a winning pitcher by allowing no hits and no runs in three ⅔ innings.
Oh Seung-hwan, who is ranked first in relief, allowed five runs on five hits during ⅔ innings, putting him in the yoke of defeat.
