Lions stage massive comeback over Eagles, force deciding game in KBO postseason
By Yoo Jee-ho
DAEGU, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- Kim Young-woong launched a pair of three-run home runs to power an improbable comeback Wednesday night, and the Samsung Lions will live to see another day in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason.
The Lions beat the Hanwha Eagles 7-4 to force a deciding Game 5 in their best-of-five series in front of a sellout crowd of 23,680 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Down 4-0 through five innings, the Lions put up a four-spot against a helpless Eagles bullpen in the bottom sixth, keyed by Kim Young-woong's game-tying three-run shot.
Kim then delivered a go-ahead three-run bomb in the bottom seventh, sending the home crowd into pandemonium.
The winner-take-all Game 5 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon.
The winner of this series will go on to play the LG Twins in the Korean Series starting at 2 p.m. Sunday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.
The Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead just nine pitches into the game. With one out, Luis Liberato singled off starter Won Tae-in and then came around to score on Moon Hyun-bin's double to right-center field.
The Eagles couldn't have asked for much more from their 18-year-old rookie starter Jeong Woo-joo, who struck out five in 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his first career postseason start. He struck out four straight batters in one stretch, all of them on high fastballs, and erased a one-out walk in the third inning with a double play ball.
Jeong came back out for the fourth inning, having already thrown a career-high 59 pitches. He retired No. 3 hitter Koo Ja-wook on a grounder to third but got the hook after allowing a single to cleanup Lewin Diaz.
Reliever Kim Beom-su then came in relief and struck out the next two batters to keep the Lions off the board.
The Eagles then extended their lead in the top fifth, as Moon once again got the better of Won.
With runners at second and third following a single, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice bunt, Moon won a seven-pitch battle against Won by drilling a line drive three-run shot into right-field seats for a 4-0 Eagles lead.
But the Lions jumped on the Eagles' bullpen for a four-spot in the sixth to tie the score.
Kim Ji-chan led off the inning with a triple off Hwang Jun-seo and came home on a single by Koo Ja-wook. The Eagles then summoned Kim Seo-hyeon, their struggling closer who had trouble protecting leads in recent games.
Kim got a fielder's choice groundout against cleanup Lewin Diaz but couldn't get past Kim Young-woong, who destroyed a 0-2 fastball for a game-tying three-run blast.
Kim was far from done. He once again stepped in with two runners aboard in the bottom seventh, facing right-hander Han Seung-hyuk, and turned on an inside fastball for his second two-run homer of the night.
For the Lions, starter Gerson Garabito pitched two shutout innings in relief of Won, and Lee Ho-sung and Kim Jae-yoon followed with a scoreless inning apiece to lock down the win.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
'">
.jpg?type=nf190_130)
.png?type=nf190_130)