It's the second time since the opening, but I couldn't laugh'Limited record of 21st century games & 10 wins for 2 consecutive years' Doosan overpowered KIA'Escaped 4 consecutive losses'

Jul 30, 2024

photo courtesy of Doosan Bears

The hit went off hot. The Doosan Bears succeeded in escaping four consecutive losses.

Doosan won 12-7 in an away game against the KIA Tigers at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 30th. Doosan escaped from four consecutive losses, bringing its season record to 52 wins, 2 draws and 50 losses. KIA lost its 39th game (two draws and 60 wins) this season.

At 7:20 p.m., all 2,0500 seats at Champions Field were sold out. 19th of the season. However, apart from Friday and holidays, the simple Tuesday sell-out is the first since the opening game at Champions Field on April 1, 2014.

Doosan's hit came off hot. Doosan scored 11 points with 16 hits.

On this day, Doosan formed the starting lineup in the order of Lee Yoo-chan (left fielder), Jung Soo-bin (center fielder), Kang Seung-ho (second baseman), Yang Seok-hwan (first baseman), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Jae-ho (striker), Kim Ki-yeon (possession), and Cho Soo-haeng (right fielder).

For KIA, Socrates Brito (left fielder), Choi Won-joon (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Na Sung-bum (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Byun Woo-hyuk (first baseman), Han Jun-su (captor), and Park Chan-ho (striker) started the game.

In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Lee Yoo-chan drew a walk, followed by Yang Seok-hwan's two-run home run. Yang Seok-hwan gave up his bat when KIA starter Cam Aldred's fastball came to the top of the strike zone and crossed the left fence. Yang Seok-hwan's 23rd home run of the season.

In the top of the second inning, Heo Kyung-min and Kim Jae-ho hit and Kim Ki-yeon's two-run double broke the score 4-0. Doosan made it 5-0 in the top of the third inning with Yang Seok-hwan's hit, Kim Jae-hwan's base hit, and Huh Kyung-min's timely hit.

photo courtesy of the KIA Tigers

KIA's silence was broken in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Park Chan-ho hit a hit, and Socrates hit Kwak Bin's changeup and crossed the right fence. The ball hit the KIA home run zone structure on the right fence. As Socrates' ball hits the 'EV3' vehicle on display in the KIA Home Run Zone, KIA will present its new electric car 'EV3' to Socrates.

Socrates also hit the home run zone on June 7 last year and received a car 'The 2024 Niro'. It is the second time since Na Sung-bum that a player has hit the home run zone twice.

Meanwhile, Kim Jae-hwan (K5 on May 27, 2014), Choi Hee-seop (All New Sorento on April 9, 2015), Oh Jae-il (Stinger on October 25, 2030), Preston Tucker (Sorento on May 30, 2020), Kim Hyun-soo (Sorento on August 4, 2020), Na Sung-beom (K5 on September 12, 2021, August 16, 2022, The New Seltos), Choi Hyung-woo (EV3 on July 17, 2024), Socrates (June 7, 2023 The 2024 Niro, July 30, 2024.

Doosan shook off KIA's chase by scoring an additional point in the top of the fifth inning. Kang Seung-ho and Yang Seok-hwan hit back-to-back hits to first and third base with no outs. Heo Kyung-min's hit and Kim Ki-yeon's two-run timely hit. Cho's hit made it 9-2. Cho later stole a base. 50 times in a season? He stole a base. Cho achieved 50 steals in 94 games, achieving the minimum of 50 steals in the 21st century. The previous record was 103 games held by Lee Dae-dae in 2008 and Kim Joo-chan in 2010.

Doosan widened the score to 11-2 with Kang Seung-ho's hit, Yang Seok-hwan's timely double and Kim Jae-hwan's timely hit after one out in the top of the sixth inning.

Doosan seemed to seal the victory, but KIA's counterattack was also not easy. In the bottom of the seventh inning, KIA had Han Jun-su's infield hit after Byun Woo-hyuk drew a walk. In the process, defensive errors overlapped, making runners on the second and third bases. Park Chan-ho, Park Jung-woo, Choi Won-joon, and Seo Geon-chang continued to hit consecutive times, narrowing the gap to 6-11.

Doosan decided to win when Kang Seung-ho hit a wedge home run in the top of the eighth inning.

KIA recovered one point with Byun Woo-hyuk's walk, Han Jun-su's double and Park Chan-ho's sacrifice fly after one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it was not enough to make up for all the points.

photo courtesy of Doosan Bears

Doosan won its 10th game (seven losses) of the season as starting pitcher Kwak Bin pitched well with two runs in six innings. Following last year's 12 wins, he has won double-digit wins for the second consecutive year.

Park Chi-guk (three runs in 0 innings), Choi Seung-yong (one run in 0 innings), Kim Kang-ryul (one run in 1 ⅔), Lee Byung-hun (⅓ innings scoreless), and Kim Taek-yeon (one inning scoreless) came up to keep the victory.

KIA starter Aldred was sluggish with seven runs in four ⅓ innings and suffered his second loss (8 wins) of the season. Lim Ki-young (2 runs in 2 ⅓ innings), Kim Seung-hyun (2 runs in 2 ⅓ innings), and Lee Hyung-beom (1 run in 2 innings) took the mound in turn.

Meanwhile, new foreign hitter Jared Young joined Doosan on the same day. Jared made his debut in the top of the fifth inning as a pinch hitter in Lee Yoo-chan's at-bat. He went to two at-bats, but both turned to fly balls. However, in the third at-bat in the top of the ninth inning, he made a KBO league debut by hitting a huge double that hit the left fence.

bellstop@sportschosun.com