[OSEN=Daegu, Reporter Han Yong-seop] The Samsung Lions beat the LG Twins to take the lead in Game 1.
Samsung defeated LG 10-4 in the first round of the 2024 KBO League postseason playoffs (best out of five) held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. Samsung won its first game against LG, which it met for the first time in 22 years in the postseason since the 2002 Korean Series.
Of the 33 cases in which the best-of-five series was held, 25 have advanced to the Korean Series by winning the first round. This is a 75.8 percent chance. Samsung tasted the autumn baseball victory at Lapak for the first time since the opening of Samsung Lions Park in 2016.
Samsung starter Reyes became the winning pitcher with four hits, one homer, two walks, one strikeout and three runs (one earned) in six ⅔ innings. Koo Ja-wook hit a three-run home run, Kim Young-woong hit a solo home run, and Diaz hit a two-run home run, showing off his team’s prowess as the No. 1 team in home runs (185).
LG starter Choi Won-tae failed to break the “autumn jinx” by being hit early with seven hits, two homers, three strikeouts and five runs in three innings.
For Samsung, Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Yoon Jung-bin (right wing), Koo Ja-wook (left wing), Diaz (first baseman), Park Byung-ho (designated hitter), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Lee Jae-hyun (striker), and Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman) started.
“We decided to hire Yoon through a meeting between the batting part coach and the power analysis team. He has shown better performance throughout the season (than Kim Heon-gon) and has a high on-base percentage. We look forward to his role in leading the team to the central lineup,” coach Park Jin-man said.
LG’s starting lineup is Hong Chang-ki (right wing), Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Austin (first baseman), Kim Hyun-soo (left wing), Oh Ji-hwan (striker), Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman), Park Dong-won (catcher), Park Hae-min (middle fielder) and Moon Sung-joo (designated hitter).
Kim Hyun-soo is playing as the fourth hitter in this year’s postseason for the first time. “Kim Hyun-soo has good batting performance lately and his opponent is not bad. I thought it would be better to increase Kim to No. 4, so I made the decision,” manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said before the game. Oh Ji-hwan went from No. 4 to No. 5. Moon Bo-kyung (one hit in 19 at-bats) who had his first hit in Game 5 of the semi-playoff, was placed as No. 6.
“I put it in to use it as a substitute agent. Unlike KT, Samsung has left-handed pitchers. There have been reports that he is in good condition in the second division,” he said.
Samsung scored the first run in the first inning. Top hitter Kim Ji-chan struck out, but Yoon Jung-bin hit a double first of all to get on base for scoring. Coach Park Jin-man’s No. 2 card hit the mark.
Koo Ja-wook’s well-hit ball seemed to fall between the first and second bases, but second baseman Shin Min-jae caught it with a sliding catch and threw it to the first base, but it was safe. Diaz hit the first pitch with one out and runners on the first and third bases, bringing the third baseman home with a sacrifice fly to the center field.
Samsung had a cannonball to run away in the third inning. Leading hitter Kim Ji-chan had a hit to right field to get on base. Yoon Jeong-bin then hit a hit that fell in front of the right field to create a chance for runners on the first and third bases with no outs.
Koo Ja-wook did not miss Choi Won-tae’s 138-km cutter and pulled it to the center, and hit a three-run homer over the right-center fence. The team went 4-0. Koo’s second homerun in the playoffs.
After two outs in the first inning, LG created chances for the first and second bases with Austin’s walk, second base stolen base, and Kim Hyun-soo’s walk, but Oh Ji-hwan missed the opportunity with a fly ball to left field.
Oh took the batter’s box for the second time with two outs in the fourth inning when his team was losing 0-4, and hit a slider from Samsung starter Reyes for a solo home run over the right fence. The first hit that an 꽁머니 batter recorded on the day was a home run.
Samsung immediately ran away in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting LG’s willingness to pursue him. As the leadoff hitter, Kim Young-woong hit a changeup of the fourth pitch with one ball and two strikes from Choi Won-tae to draw a solo arch over the right fence. The flying distance was 110 meters. Samsung again ran away with a gap of four runs, 5-1.
LG replaced Choi Won-tae, who allowed the fifth run after hitting a home run. You Young-chan came up as the second pitcher. You Young-chan treated Lee Jae-hyun with a foul fly and allowed Ryu Ji-hyuk to have an infield single to shortstop. Oh Ji-hwan held it well and threw it, but first baseman Austin failed to catch it as it became a one-bound in front of first baseman.
Oh Ji-hwan caught Kim Ji-chan’s ground ball with a diving catch with one out and one out, and he threw it to the second baseman with a glove toss to end the inning with a double play leading to second base-1.
LG replaced the pitcher from You Young-chan to Kim Jin-sung in the bottom of the fifth inning. Yoon Jeong-bin, the leadoff hitter, struck out for Samsung. Koo Ja-wook walked to get on the base, and Diaz hit Kim Jin-sung’s fork ball with one ball and two strikes for a two-run home run over the right fence. The team went on a 7-1 run. LG replaced Kim Jin-sung, and Jung Woo-young came up as a relief pitcher.
Park Byung-ho hit an infield hit to the third baseman with a missed ground ball, and Kang Min-ho hit a hit to the right, making it one out and one out and two out. Kim Young-woong’s ground ball to the second base allowed the leading runner to get out of the second base, making it a first base and a third base with two outs. Lee Jae-hyun failed to score as he stepped down with a fly ball to center field.
With one out and one out in the seventh inning, LG’s Moon Bo-kyung passed the infield key to get on base with a hit that fell in front of the center field. Park Dong-won was out after a straight hit to the third baseman. With two outs and runners on the first base, Park Hae-min hit a hit to the right, giving the team a chance to secure the first and second bases. Samsung lowered its starting pitcher Reyes and placed Song Eun-beom as a relief pitcher.
Moon’s ball fell off Song’s left-handed glove, and Song tried to catch and handle the ball, but failed to catch the ball properly and became an infield hit. The bases loaded with two outs. Song was replaced because he had numbness in his left hand.
Samsung replaced its pitcher with left-hander Lee Seung-hyun. Due to a mistake made by Diaz, the first baseman, both third and second basemen came into the game. The score was 7-3. With runners on the first and third bases with two outs, Shin Min-jae hit a hit that missed the line to the third base, trailing 7-4.
Samsung elevated its pitcher to Kim Yoon-soo. Kim returned Austin to three strikeouts with a 155-km fastball.
Samsung faced Baek Seung-hyun, a changed pitcher, in the bottom of the seventh inning when Diaz, the leadoff hitter, walked and got on base. Park Byung-ho hit a left-handed hit that passed by the shortstop, creating a chance for the first and second bases with no outs. Kang Min-ho attempted a bunt to send him. He buntted to the first base to reach the second and third bases with one out.
LG replaced its pitcher with Lee Ji-gang. Kim calmly picked up three balls with one ball and two strikes, walked the ball, and loaded the bases with one out. Lee Jae-hyun widened the gap to 8-4 with a sacrifice fly to the center field.
LG’s leadoff hitter Kim Hyun-soo got on base with a hit ball in the eighth inning. Samsung replaced the pitcher from Kim Yoon-soo to Lim Chang-min. Oh Ji-hwan hit a fly ball to center field, Moon Bo-kyung struck out, and Park Dong-won hit a ground ball to third base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Samsung got on base with Yoon Jung-bin’s hit to the right and Koo Ja-wook’s hit to the center.
LG replaced pitcher Kim Dae-hyun. Samsung made a bunt with Ahn Ju-hyung as a pinch hitter at Lee Seong-gyu’s at-bat, and successfully made a bunt to send the batter to the second and third bases with one out. Kim Hun-gon drew a walk and loaded the bases with one out.
Kang Min-ho struck out and loaded the bases with two outs. At Kim Young-woong’s at-bat, the catcher failed to catch a one-bound wild pitch and threw it back. The third baseman scored and ran away 9-4. Kim Young-woong walked on the fourth pitch to load the bases with two outs again. Lee Jae-hyun’s at-bat made another wild pitch, and Samsung scored its 10th run. Kim Jae-yoon came up to end the game after Kim Tae-hoon in the top of the ninth inning.