They blew a three-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. However, the Doosan Bears managed to tie the game by taking advantage of the opposing closer. Then, they won the game again. Doosan proved to be unstoppable.
Doosan won 7-5 against KIA in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Thursday afternoon.
The five-game winning streak puts Doosan in second place with 30 wins, 2 draws and 21 losses, one point clear of first-place KIA (29 wins, 1 draw and 20 losses). They also became the first KBO team to reach 30 wins.
Doosan dominated KIA on the day, led by starting pitcher Kwak Bin. Using a fastball that reached nearly 150 kilometers per hour and a dropping curveball, Kwak kept the KIA bats in check, allowing just three hits through the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Doosan brought in Kim Taek-yeon, who walked Park Chan-ho and Na Sung-beom to put runners on second and third, and gave up a single to Choi Hyung-woo and a triple to Lee Woo-sung. Choi Ji-kang then gave up a solo shot to Socrates Brito to cut the lead to 3-5.
By this point, Doosan had exhausted their ‘domestic ace’ Kwak Bin and were on their way to a heartbreaking defeat. First-place contender Kia looked to escape this week’s crisis as they snapped a four-game losing streak despite using ‘substitute starter’ Hwang Dong-ha.
However, Doosan was not done. In the top of the ninth, leadoff hitter Jeon Min-jae led off with a single to right. Kang Seung-ho flied out to right field, but Yang Ji-hyun took a first-pitch slider from Kia closer Jung Hae-young for a tying two-run homer to left-center field. Jeong lowered his head and walked off the mound.
With the momentum in their favor, Doosan had a chance to take the lead when Yang Seok-hwan followed with a single to left. Kim Jae-hwan then crushed a five-pitch 사설토토 fastball from Jang Hyun-seok for a two-run home run over the left-center field wall. It was a dramatic turnaround from the eighth inning. It was a moment that epitomized Doosan’s recent form.
Doosan has defied all expectations this season and advanced to the top of the standings. In this game, they suffered an unexpected reversal and immediately turned it around. With 30 wins under their belt, they’re within striking distance of the top spot. Doosan is the eye of the storm in the race for the top spot as they continue to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.