Game Summary
The KIA Tigers offense came alive early at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, posting six runs across the first four innings to hand the visiting Doosan Bears a 6-1 defeat on Friday night. Yang Hyeon-jong was masterful on the mound for KIA, allowing just one run over six innings while striking out four, earning his eighth victory of the season. Doosan’s pitching staff crumbled in the second inning, giving up the go-ahead runs that ultimately proved insurmountable. The Bears managed only a single run despite outhitting the Tigers six to eleven, a frustrating night that dropped them further behind in the wild card race.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| KIA Tigers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 3 |
The game’s momentum shifted decisively in the second inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Park Jae-hyun ripped a double into center field to score both runners and give KIA a 2-0 lead. That hit would prove to be the difference-maker, as the Tigers added two more runs in the fourth to build what became an insurmountable cushion.
Pitching Performance
Yang Hyeon-jong delivered exactly what the Tigers needed from their ace. Working six innings, the right-hander surrendered six hits and three walks while striking out four batters. He allowed just one run—that coming on a solo homer—and kept Doosan off balance throughout his outing. The Tigers’ bullpen was equally stingy, with Jeon Sang-hyun, Jo Sang-woo, and Lee Ui-ri combining to shut out the Bears over three innings without allowing a hit.
Doosan’s pitching, by contrast, fell apart early and often. Choe Seung-yong lasted just three and two-thirds innings, surrendering seven hits and four runs while issuing four walks. His inability to locate fastballs and off-speed pitches set the tone for an ugly evening. Park Shin-ji took over in the fourth but gave up a run in just two and one-third innings of work, and the Bears’ bullpen never recovered from those early deficits. Lee Byung-heon and Yoon Tae-ho combined for two scoreless innings, but the damage was already done.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | ||||||
| Choi Seung-yong [L] | 3 ⅔ | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Park Shin-ji | 2 ⅓ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Lee Byung-heon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yun Tae-ho | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KIA Tigers | ||||||
| Yang Hyeon-jong [W] | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Jeon Sang-hyun | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jo Sang-woo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lee Ui-ri | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Offensive Highlights
Park Jae-hyun paced the Tigers’ attack with two hits in five at-bats, driving in two runs. His double in the second inning was the pivotal blow, coming at a moment when KIA needed to establish early control. Castro went three-for-five and contributed an RBI, while Ha Ju-seok collected two hits as part of a balanced Tiger lineup that took advantage of Doosan’s sloppy pitching.
Kim Do-young provided the offensive exclamation point with his 35th home run of the season in the fourth inning. Though it came with just one runner on base, the blast extended the Tigers’ lead and silenced any thoughts of a Doosan comeback. Kim Dae-han led the Bears with three hits in five at-bats, but without run support, his performance went largely unnoticed. Park Jun-soon knocked in the Bears’ only run, a modest contribution that underscored Doosan’s struggles to generate anything resembling an offense.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | |||||
| Kim Dae-han | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Park Jun-soon | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| KIA Tigers | |||||
| Park Jae-hyun | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kim Do-young | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Castro | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ha Ju-seok | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Ho-yeon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Key Play
The game’s pivotal moment came in the second inning with Park Jae-hyun at the plate and runners stationed at first and second with one out. The Doosan pitcher left something middle-in to the Tigers’ corner infielder, who drove it into the gap in center field. Park’s double scored both baserunners and gave KIA a 2-0 lead that they would never relinquish. What could have been a tight, low-scoring affair became a comfortable Tigers victory from that point forward. The Bears would plate just one run the rest of the evening, a stark contrast to the early offensive burst the Tigers manufactured.
Standings Impact
The win moves KIA to 60-2-48 on the season, solidifying their hold on third place in the KBO standings. Doosan drops to 57-4-50 and remains stuck in fifth, now five games behind the third-place Tigers with roughly half the season remaining. For a Bears team that hoped to make a late-season push, losses like this one—where pitching falters and the offense can’t keep pace—are poison to postseason aspirations. KIA, meanwhile, continues to build momentum heading into the stretch run.