Game Summary
The Samsung Lions edged the KIA Tigers 9-8 on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final out. Playing at home, Samsung scratched out enough runs across nine innings to hold off a late Tigers rally, with Min-ho Kang delivering the decisive blow with a sacrifice fly in the ninth. The victory improved Samsung to 62-42 overall and kept them in striking distance of first place, while KIA dropped to 57-48 and slipped further behind in the playoff race.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 1 |
| KIA Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
Neither team broke through early. Samsung starter Won Tae-in worked five and two-thirds innings, giving up nine hits and six runs while walking two and striking out two. KIA’s Shirakawa held the Lions relatively quiet through five innings, allowing just four hits and one run across that span. But the game unraveled in the middle frames, when both offenses found their timing and turned a pitching duel into a slugfest.
The Tigers struck first. After Samsung plated a solo run in the second, KIA mounted pressure in the third and fourth innings. They couldn’t quite put together a big inning early on, but they kept Samsung’s pitchers working and created opportunities. When the game reached the sixth inning, both teams seemed ready to trade blows.
Samsung’s bats came alive with Kang’s three-run homer off Jung Hae-young in the sixth, pushing the Lions ahead 4-2. But KIA answered back with their own offense. The Tigers chipped away with run-scoring hits from Kim Seon-bin and others, making it a game again. In the seventh, the Tigers nearly pulled ahead, but Samsung’s pitching held just enough to keep the door open.
Diaz added another three-run shot off Choi Ji-min in the seventh, extending Samsung’s lead to 7-4. Yet KIA kept fighting. Na Sung-beom’s bat stayed hot, and with Kim Seon-bin driving in runs late, the Tigers crept back into contention. By the ninth inning, they trailed by just one run with runners in scoring position. But Kang’s sacrifice fly with one out and runners on second and third sealed it for Samsung.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Lions | ||||||
| Won Tae-in | 5 ⅔ | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Lee Seung-min | 0 ⅓ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Tae-hun | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jang Chan-hee | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Jae-yoon [W] | 1 ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| KIA Tigers | ||||||
| Shirakawa | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Jung Hae-young | 0 ⅓ | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seong Young-tak [H] | 1 ⅓ | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Choi Ji-min | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeon Sang-hyun | 1 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jo Sang-woo [L] | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Won Tae-in’s effort set the tone for Samsung, though the Lions needed multiple arms out of the bullpen. Kim Jae-yoon earned the win with 1⅔ scoreless innings of relief, striking out two. The Tigers’ bullpen couldn’t hold the line—particularly Jeong Hae-young and Choi Ji-min, who both took home runs. Cho Sang-woo took the loss despite pitching only one inning in the ninth, unable to escape the inning without giving up two runs.
Samsung cycled through five pitchers after Tae-in departed, a sign of how tight the game remained. The parade of arms kept KIA’s hitters guessing, but it also left Samsung’s bullpen stretched thin. KIA burned through six arms themselves, showing the offensive nature of the contest strained both pitching staffs.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Lions | |||||
| Koo Ja-uk | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Diaz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Ryu Ji-hyuk | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kang Min-ho | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| KIA Tigers | |||||
| Park Jae-hyun | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Sun-bin | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kim Do-young | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Castro | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Na Sung-bum | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Han Jun-soo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kang was the night’s story for Samsung. The cleanup hitter went 1-for-2 with his homer and that clutch sacrifice fly, driving in four runs. Gu Ja-uk stayed hot at the top of the order, collecting three hits in five at-bats, while Ryu Ji-hyuk added three hits and two RBIs. Diaz’s power display accounted for three runs as well.
For KIA, Kim Seon-bin led the way with three hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Park Jae-hyun chipped in two hits and a triple, showing some pop without converting to runs. The Tigers had ample opportunities but couldn’t put together enough consecutive hits when it mattered most. Castro and Na Sung-beom added two hits apiece but left runners stranded.
Key Play
Kang’s sacrifice fly in the ninth with runners on second and third, one out, proved decisive. It gave Samsung an insurance run they wouldn’t need but had to have, as KIA mounted late pressure but ran out of time. The Tigers had one last chance with runners in scoring position, but the inning ended before they could complete the comeback.
Standings Impact
Samsung remains in second place, 62 wins now separating them from first. KIA, sitting in fourth at 57 wins, fell further back in the wild-card scramble with only six weeks remaining in the regular season. The loss stung, as the Tigers had chances to walk away with this one and will need to bounce back quickly.