Kiwoom Heroes won their fourth straight game. Lee Jung-hoo (25) and Kim Hye-sung (24) were the difference makers.
Kiwoom won 2-1 in the second game of a midweek three-game series against the KIA Tigers of the 2023 KBO League at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Thursday. Starting pitcher Choi Won-tae pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the bats responded with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Set-up man Kim Jae-woong took the mound in the top of the eighth inning and recorded a scoreless hold, while closer Lim Chang-min completed the job to preserve the lead.
Kiwoom has won four straight games dating back to April 10 against the KT Wiz. It is their second four-game winning streak since mid-April. With their 27th win of the season (1 tie, 34 losses), they are climbing toward the middle of the pack. KIA has lost three straight games in a row in a losing effort.
Kiwoom starting pitcher Choi Won-tae has thrown six consecutive quality starts (6+ innings – 3 earned runs or less). The Kia offense was also at a good pace today. He kept the first two innings scoreless. In the third inning, he gave up a leadoff single to Kim Kyu-sung, a sacrifice bunt to Ryu Ji-hyuk, and a single to Choi Won-jun, but he held the Kia bats without allowing another run until the seventh inning.
After falling behind 3-0, the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Designated hitter Lee Jung-hoo hit a triple to left-center field off pitcher Sean Andersle to load the bases, and Edison Russell followed with a clean single up the middle.
With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Kim Hye-sung drew a leadoff triple from Anderson, and Lee Jung-hoo, who had hit a triple in his previous at-bat four innings earlier, sent a line drive to deep right-center field to drive in the tag-up runner from third. 메이저사이트
Kiwoom crossed the nine-run plateau in the top of the eighth inning when set-up man Kim Jae-woong retired the entire KIA center field lineup of Choi Won-joon, Socrates, and Choi Hyung-woo.
The offense was unable to score in the bottom of the eighth, but Lim Chang-min worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth to preserve the team’s fourth straight win. Choi Won-tae also picked up his fifth win of the season.