The Doosan Bears produced a “miracle” on Friday night and extended their winning streak. A thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Samsung Lions kept their hopes alive for a top-five finish.
Doosan won the 11th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against Samsung 8-7 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. It was the second straight win for Doosan, which had beaten the fifth-ranked KIA Tigers 3-0 the day before to halt their 10-game winning streak.
Doosan trailed 6-7 heading into the top of the ninth inning, but found drama in its final at-bat in the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff walk to Kim Jae-hwan and a sacrifice bunt by Lee Yoo-chan put runners on first and second, Kang Seung-ho hit a dramatic RBI single to tie the game at 7-7.
Doosan put the game out of reach when Park Jun-young reached on an automatic walk to put runners on first and second with one out, and Park Kye-beom came up to bat.
Park hit a hard grounder off Samsung pitcher Kim Tae-hoon that Samsung third baseman Ryu Ji-hyeok failed to catch, allowing second baseman Kang Seung-ho to rush home and score the game-winning run.
With the win, Doosan improved to 57 wins, 56 losses, and one tie on the season, closing to within two games of fifth-place KIA, which is tied with the LG Twins. With four more games to go this season, there is still a chance for Doosan to overtake Kia for fifth place.
Doosan got a solid start from left-hander Choi Seung-yong, who went five innings, allowing two runs on five hits, one home run, two walks and four strikeouts. Aside from a two-run homer to Kang Min-ho in the first inning, he didn’t allow another run until the fifth inning, laying the foundation for his team’s victory.
At the plate, Choi Jae-ho shined. He went 2-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs, and one run scored, showing off his veteran power. Kim Jae-hwan also showed his best batting form in the second half of the season, going 4-for-3 with a home run, RBI, and a walk.
“Starting pitcher Choi Seung-yong did his part by pitching five shutout innings,” said Doosan head coach Lee Seung-yeop, “and Hong Gun-hee pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to give us a foothold in the game.”
“In the batting lineup, Kim Jae-ho scored a run every time he had a chance, and Kim Jae-hwan showed a good performance as a veteran player with four 토토 runs batted in.” “I would also like to praise Kang Seung-ho, who tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, and Park Kye-beom, who induced the final out. I would like to thank the fans for their support and encouragement.”
Meanwhile, Doosan will play a doubleheader against Samsung in Jamsil on May 9. Veteran Jang Won-jun will take the mound for the first game of the doubleheader.