‘Choi Jung overturns 2-run deficit, Anderson pitches 6 innings of 2-hit shutout’
It’s a sweep.
The SSG Landers won 6-3 against the Samsung Lions of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, South Korea, on April 18.
SSG is in fifth place with 37 wins, one draw and 33 losses. Samsung, which has lost three straight, is fourth with 38 wins, one draw and 32 losses. The two teams are separated by one game.
SSG starter Drew Anderson earned his third win of the season with a quality start (QS), allowing two runs on five hits (two home runs) and three walks over six innings while striking out six and walking none.
At the plate, Choi Jung-jeong was 3-for-5 with two doubles (one home run), two RBIs, one run scored and two walks, Guillermo Heredia was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored, and Park Ji-hwan was 1-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and one run scored.
Samsung’s Kim Heon-gon hit a leadoff home run in the first inning, 1034 days after his first since August 19, 2021, against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles. It was the first leadoff home run of his career. Koo Ja-rook also fired a home run blast.
Starting lineups
Samsung: Kim Heon-gon (left fielder)-Kim Young-woong (third baseman)-Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop)-Koo Ja-uk (designated hitter)-Lee Sung-kyu (center fielder)-Yoon Jung-bin (right fielder)-Park Byung-ho (first baseman)-Ahn Joo-hyung (second baseman)-Lee Byung-heon (catcher), starting pitcher Lee Seung-min.
SSG: Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder)-Park Sung-sung (shortstop)-Choi Jeong (designated hitter)-Guillermo Heredia (left fielder)-Han Yu-seom (right fielder)-Lee Ji-young (catcher)-Ko Myung-joon (first baseman)-Kim Sung-hyun (third baseman)-Park Ji-hwan (second baseman), starter Drew Anderson.
SSG struck first in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Choi Ji-hoon drew a walk after a nine-pitch at-bat. He stole second base and advanced to third on a single by Park Sung-han. After Choi was retired on a grounder to third base, Heredia stepped to the 사설토토 plate and hit a single to center field. Han Yoo-seom followed with a double to put runners on second and third, but Lee Ji-young grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
But Samsung answered with two home runs in the bottom of the first. Kim Heon-gon led off with a four-seam fastball from Anderson over the left-field fence. After Kim Young-woong and Lee Jae-hyun struck out, Koo stepped to the plate and pulled a high, five-seam, 144-kilometer-high changeup for a solo arch. It was a huge 130-meter home run.
In the top of the third inning, SSG turned the tide. One out later, Park Sung-ki doubled. Choi then took advantage of Lee Seung-min’s three-pitch 119 km/h changeup that was high and outside, and launched it over the center field wall. 3-2.
SSG continued to push for runs. After Heredia singled, Han Yoo-seom walked to load the bases. Lee Ji-young flied out to center field, but Go Myung-joon walked to load the bases. Kim Sung-hyun drew a walk to load the bases. Park Ji-hwan then grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, SSG scored one more run. After Choi Ji-hoon and Choi Jung drew walks to put runners on first and second, Heredia came through with a pushing double. With runners on second and third, Han Yoo-seom fouled out to third base and Lee Ji-young flied out to right field.
In the top of the sixth inning, SSG once again had the bases loaded. With one out, Park Sung-han and Choi Jung drew back-to-back walks. After Heredia grounded out to shortstop, Han Yoo-seom singled to load the bases. However, Lee Ji-young grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
But in the top of the seventh inning, Park Ji-hwan extended the lead with a one-run home run. Park stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out, and took Yang’s three-seam 123-kilometer/h curveball over the right field wall.
Samsung got one back in the bottom of the seventh. Two batters later, Kim Young-woong reached first base on a throwing error by pitcher Cho Byung-hyun. He then stole second base to set up a scoring opportunity. Lee Jae-hyun followed with an RBI single to narrow the gap to three runs.