Baseball’s KT avenged a previous day’s loss by beating Samsung.
KT exploded for 17 hits in a 12-5 victory over Samsung in the 2024 KBO League at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, on Monday. Fourth-place Doosan also won to stay within one game of first place.
Jang Sung-woo had three hits, including a two-run home run, and six RBIs. He tied his career-high in RBIs (six) for the first time in nine years since 2015. A five-run fifth inning broke the game open.
KT starter Cuevas allowed four runs on eight hits (one homer) with three walks and four strikeouts in four innings (82 pitches). Choi Soo-joon (1 inning), Joo Kwon (1 inning), Son Dong-hyun (⅔ inning), Kim Min-soo (⅓ inning), Woo Kyu-min (⅓ inning), Park Young-hyun (1 inning), and Kim Min-soo (⅔ inning) followed.
Samsung starter Lee Ho-sung allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits (one home run) with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings.
The bullpen collapsed.
Samsung’s starting lineup was Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Yoon Jung-bin (right fielder), Koo Ja-uk (left fielder), Diaz (first baseman), Kang Min-ho (designated hitter), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Lee Sung-kyu (center fielder), Ryu Ji-hyeok (second baseman), and Lee Byung-heon (catcher).
KT started Rojas Rohas (right fielder), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Jang Jang-woo (catcher), Oh Jae-il (first baseman), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Jeong Jae-dae (center fielder), Oh Yoon-seok (second baseman), and Shim Woo-joon (shortstop).
Samsung got on the board in the top of the first when Lee Jae-hyun drew a walk, and one out later, Koo Ja-uk singled to right to put runners on first and third. Koo then stole second off Diaz. However, Diaz grounded out to second base and Kang Min-ho grounded out to shortstop.
In the bottom of the first inning, KT’s leadoff hitter Rojas singled up the middle. Center fielder Lee Sung-gyu fumbled a one-bounce ball that landed in front of him. Rojas quickly ran to second base and was safe. Kim Min-hyuk grounded out to the first baseman to put runners on first and third, and Jang Sung-woo hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the go-ahead run.
Samsung answered back in the second inning.
Two batters later, Ryu Ji-hyuk drew a walk. 카지노사이트 Lee Byung-heon singled to left-center to put runners on first and third. A wild pitch by starter Cuevas advanced the runners to second and third. Lee Jae-hyun hit a single to left center to make it 2-1. Yoon Jung-bin then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Koo Ja-rook followed with an RBI single to right to make it 3-1. With runners on first and third, Diaz struck out to end the inning.
KT failed to make a comeback in the second inning as some well-hit pitches went straight to the defense. Hwang Jae-gyun led off the inning with a single up the middle, and Choi Jae-dae drew a walk to put runners in scoring position. However, Oh Yoon-seok’s well-pitched pitch was caught in front of the center fielder for a line drive. Shim Woo-joon walked again to load the bases. Rojas hit a ball straight to the second baseman to end the inning.
KT tied the game in the third inning. Kim Min-hyuk, the leadoff hitter, singled up the middle. On a full count, Jang Jang-woo pulled a high fastball (141 kilometers) from Samsung starter Lee Ho-sung into the middle of the seventh pitch and launched it over the left field wall for a two-run home run. It was his 17th home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3.
Samsung pulled starter Lee Ho-sung and brought in right-hander Lee Seung-hyun as the second pitcher.
Oh Jae-il singled to left, and Kang Baek-ho grounded to shortstop to load the bases with one out. Hwang Jae-gyun singled to left to put runners on first and second. Jeong Jae-dae grounded out to the third baseman, putting runners at second and third, ending the threat.
In the fourth inning, Samsung’s Yoon Jung-bin swung at a 145-kilometer fastball from Cuevas like a thunderbolt and launched it over the right-field fence for a solo home run. His seventh home run of the season. Yoon Jung-bin’s single made it 4-3 again.
KT regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. One out later, Shim Woo-jun led off with a single to left against reliever Baek Jung-hyun. Rojas struck out to load the bases, but Kim Min-hyuk drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Jang Jang-woo then hit a single to left that sailed past the third baseman to tie the game at 4-4.
In the top of the fifth inning, KT relieved Cuevas and brought in Choi Min-joon as the second pitcher. Samsung got on the board first when Kim Hyun-joon drew a walk and Ryu Ji-hyuk singled to left to put runners on first and second. Lee Byung-heon hit a single to right field, and the right fielder threw home. The third base coach stopped the second baseman at third base.
But when the first baseman,
Ryu Ji-hyeok, failed to catch the ball and threw it back, the runner stole second and ran to third. The catcher quickly made the catch from the side of home plate, and the runner from third couldn’t get home. As a result, there were two runners on third base. Catcher Jang Jang-woo grabbed the ball and raced to third base, forcing the shortstop to tag out Ryu Ji-hyuk at second base. With runners on first and third, Lee Jae-hyun struck out to end the inning.
KT came back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kang Baek-ho grounded out to the second baseman, and Hwang Jae-gyun singled. With the bases loaded, pitcher Baek Jung-hyun was removed and Kim Dae-woo came up. Oh Yoon-seok singled to left to put runners on first and second, and Shim Woo-joon roared in from second after hitting a two-run double over the center-field fence.
Samsung switched pitchers again, this time to left-hander Lee Jae-ik. Rojas hit an RBI single to left to make it 7-4. Kim Min-hyuk singled to right to put runners on first and second. Jang Sung-woo singled to right-center, stole second and raced home to score Kim Min-hyuk from first. It was 9-4. Oh Jae-il walked, the bases were loaded, and Kang Baek-ho struck out to end the inning.
KT came back in the top of the sixth after Choi Soo-joon in the fifth, putting runners on first and second after a pitcher’s infield hit to Koo Ja-uk and a single to Diaz. Kang Min-ho got Kang to fly out to shortstop to end the threat.
In the seventh, Son Dong-hyun came on and gave up a single to Ryu Ji-hyuk with two outs. Kim Min-soo came on in relief and got Lee Byung-heon to ground out to second base to end the inning.
Woo Kyu-min came on in the eighth inning for KT.
He gave up a leadoff double to Lee Jae-hyun to left-center field. He got Yoon Jung-bin to fly out to shortstop and Koo Ja-uk to ground out to shortstop. Woo Gyu-min grounded into a 2-ball-2 strikeout against Diaz. KT manager Lee Kang-chul took the mound himself and replaced the pitcher with Park Young-hyun.
Diaz drew a two-pitch walk to load the bases. Kim Ji-chan came in to pinch-hit for Kang Min-ho. He hit a grounder in front of the second baseman, and the runners were only out at second base to cut the lead to one. With runners on first and third, Kim Young-woong struck out swinging.
In the bottom of the eighth, leadoff hitter Kang Baek-ho led off with a double against reliever Kim Tae-hoon, and with runners on first and third, Jeong Jae-dae singled through the infield. Oh Yoon-seok followed with a two-run home run over the center field fence to make it 12-5.