The Doosan Bears achieved a come-from-behind victory over SSG Landers in a cliffhanger semifinal matchup thanks to Captain Heo Gyeong-min’s thrilling walk-off hit.
Doosan beat SSG 3-2 in the home game held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul at 6:30 p.m. on the 14th and won four games in a row. On this day, they trailed 4th place KIA Tigers, whose game was canceled due to rain, and 5th place SSG by one game. On the other hand, SSG gave up 4th place to KIA.
Starting pitcher Choi Seung-yong did his part, allowing 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, and 1 run in 5 innings. Although he was allowed to get on base every inning, he calmly overcame the crisis by inducing double plays and bases loaded. The batting line, tied up by the opposing starting pitcher and unable to find a way out, showed concentration in the bottom of the 9th inning and scored 3 runs. Yang Seok-hwan led the attack with the only multi-hit, and Heo Gyeong-min hit a walk-off hit as a pinch hitter.
After the game, Doosan coach Seung-yeop Lee said, “The captain, like a captain, hit a great walk-off hit. “There must have been a lot of pressure at the plate, but we overcame it and achieved a valuable victory,” he said. “I would like to praise the players who did not give up until the end. “I did it in one opportunity,” he said.D starter Elias overwhelmed the Doosan batting lineup with 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and no runs in 8 innings. He threw 78 pitches until the 7th inning, raising expectations for his first shutout of the season, but the number of pitches in the next inning increased. Then, closer Seo Jin-yong, who took over the ball, allowed a walk-off hit, throwing away the win. Choi Joo-hwan hit his 19th home run of the season,안전놀이터 and Choi Jeong and Choi Ji-hoon each had 2 hits in 4 at-bats.
The first point was SSG’s responsibility. In the top of the first inning, Choi Ji-hoon caught Choi Seung-yong’s breaking ball and dropped it in front of right field, and the follow-up batter, Choi Jeong, immediately brought in a runner on first base with a timely hit that hit the top of the middle fence. On the other hand, Doosan’s batting lineup was unable to match the timing of Elias’ breaking ball and was unable to reach first base until Yang Seok-hwan’s double with 2 outs in the first inning and 2 outs in the 4th inning.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, when leadoff hitter Kang Seung-ho hit and stole a base and Park Gye-beom walked on first and second base with one out, Doosan was unable to score due to a double play by Jo Su-haeng. SSG also got on base from the second to the fifth inning due to a hit and an opponent’s error, but there was no follow-up hitAn additional point came in the top of the 7th inning. SSG pinch hitter Choi Joo-hwan took on Doosan bullpen Hong Geon-hee and, after a tenacious battle that went all the way to the 9th pitch, fired a 1-point arch that went over the right wall. Afterwards, Elias turned around Doosan’s three main hitters with 7 balls in the bottom of the 7th inning, and also overcame the crisis with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd bases in the bottom of the 8th.
Doosan’s first score came in the bottom of the 9th inning. Yang Seok-hwan hit a hit, Yang Eui-ji got on base in succession with a pitch hit by his body, and Seo Jin-yong’s wild pitch gave him a chance to reach second and third bases with one out. Kang Seung-ho’s ground ball brought the runner home on third base, and with the bases loaded after consecutive walks, the catcher once again dropped the ball to make it 2-2, and Heo Gyeong-min sealed the win with a walk-off single.
Samsung Lions defeated KT Wiz 10-4 in Daegu. The Changwon game between the LG Twins and NC Dinos and the Gwangju game between the Lotte Giants and KIA Tigers were not held due to heavy rain.