The KIA Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak on the road in Daejeon.
Lee Bum-ho-led Kia avenged the previous day’s loss with a 7-3 victory over the Hanwha Eagles in the 13th game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Daejeon Hwasung Eagles Park on Wednesday. The team improved to 61 wins, 2 draws and 42 losses on the season.
Kia pitchers minimized runs against a Hanwha bullpen that had scored a combined 66 runs during the seven-game winning streak. Starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong earned his eighth win of the season with six innings of seven hits (one home run), one walk, seven strikeouts and three runs (two earned), while Jang Hyun-sik and Jeon Sang-hyun pitched two innings of two-hit ball with one walk and one strikeout, respectively.
At the plate, Kim Do-young went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, while Park Chan-ho chipped in with a 3-for-4 performance with a home run, one RBI and one run scored. Socrates Brito, Won-jun Choi, and Sung-beom Na also contributed with two hits apiece.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing throughout the match. Hanwha was the first team to take the lead. In the bottom of the second inning, Choi Jae-hoon, who was on second and third with one out, hit a three-run home run off KIA starter Yang Hyun-jong to give Hanwha a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Hanwha’s offense took an unexpected turn. With Jonathan Peraza batting, the entire stadium went dark and the game was suspended for 38 minutes. Players from both teams had to wait for a long time in the dugout.
However, Kia responded to the early setback. Kim Do-young’s RBI double in the third inning started the rally, and Choi Won-joon’s RBI single in the fifth 파워볼실시간 inning made it 2-3. In the top of the fifth inning, Kim made it 4-3 with a two-run double.
With starter Yang Hyun-jong on the mound until the sixth inning, Kia pulled away in the top of the eighth with RBI singles by Han Jun-su and Park Chan-ho. In the top of the ninth, Park Jung-woo, who hit his first career triple, added an RBI single to seal the victory.
“It was a game where you could feel the will of the players to end the losing streak,” said Lee Bum-ho after the game. “Even though we were behind, we scored one run at a time to gain a foothold in the game, and our bullpen was able to secure the win without giving up a run.
“We had one interruption in the middle of the game, but our starter, Yang Hyun-jong, went the full six innings, which helped us stay in the game. “Jang Hyun-sik, who came in and pitched the second inning, and Jeon Sang-hyun, who closed out the game, also played a big role. The bats also took the pressure off the pitchers by scoring the winning run after the comeback.”
In conclusion, Lee said, “Now that we’ve broken the losing streak, it’s just a matter of rebounding. We will do our best to show a good performance tomorrow (April 4). We are grateful to our fans for always supporting us in the hot weather.”
Kia will start Cam Aldred on Thursday as they look to win their second straight game and sweep the series. Hanwha’s starting pitcher is Jamie Barria.