Benjamin’s 10 Ks Power Doosan Past Kiwoom
The Doosan Bears beat the Kiwoom Heroes 5-3 on the road at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on September 22, snapping a two-game losing streak. Starter Wes Benjamin fired six innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts on four hits to earn his seventh win of the season. Doosan opened the scoring on Kim Min-seok’s RBI single in the third and added another run on Yang Eui-ji’s RBI hit in the fifth. Yang Seok-hwan’s solo homer and Park Chan-ho’s two-run single in the eighth put the game away. Kiwoom rallied in the sixth and eighth but fell short, extending its losing streak to six games and edging closer to a last-place finish.
Source: OSEN
Beasley Blanks Hanwha for 10th Win
The Lotte Giants routed the Hanwha Eagles 7-0 on the road at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark on September 22, extending their winning streak to four games. Starter Jeremy Beasley threw seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts on four hits to pick up his 10th win of the season. Lotte jumped ahead early with an RBI single from Hwang Seong-bin and back-to-back home runs from Na Seung-yeop and Han Dong-hee in the third, then added a two-run homer from Son Seong-bin in the sixth. The win narrowed the gap between eighth-place Lotte and ninth-place Hanwha to 2.5 games. Manager Kim Tae-hyoung credited Beasley’s dominant pitching and Son Seong-bin’s game-calling for the victory.
Source: OSEN
Hilliard’s Slam Seals KT’s Grip on First
The KT Wiz defeated the SSG Landers 8-2 at Incheon SSG Landers Field on September 22 in their final head-to-head matchup of the season. Import hitter Hedric Hilliard’s grand slam sealed the win. The victory kept KT atop the standings, 3.5 games ahead of second-place Samsung. Manager Lee Kang-chul outlined plans to start import pitchers Logan and Daniel on regular four-day rest for this week’s series against NC, adjusting the rotation ahead of games against Kiwoom and KIA. Catcher Jang Sung-woo also returned to the active roster the same day after recovering from injury.
Source: OSEN
Diaz’s Go-Ahead Slam Ends Samsung Skid
The Samsung Lions beat the NC Dinos 8-5 at home in Daegu on September 22 to snap a losing streak. Leading 6-5 in the eighth, Samsung pulled away on Lewin Diaz’s two-run homer to right field. Closer Kim Jae-yun entered with a runner on first and one out in the eighth, retiring pinch hitter Lee Woo-sung on a foul pop and striking out Kim Hwi-jip, then closed the game with a scoreless ninth. Daegu Samsung Lions Park drew its 53rd sellout crowd of the season for the game. The win kept Samsung 3.5 games behind first-place KT.
Source: OSEN
Kim Jae-yun Ties Single-Season Save Record
Samsung Lions closer Kim Jae-yun picked up his 33rd save of the season on September 22 against the NC Dinos, tying the single-season saves record, with 1⅔ scoreless innings on one hit and two strikeouts. “It was a one-run game, and I think resting longer gave me more strength. I just focused on shutting down that inning,” he said afterward. On the chase for first place, he admitted, “Of course I want first place, but constantly thinking about it made me impatient. Now I’m just trying to give my best in each game.” Having once played for KT, he acknowledged the league leaders’ strength, saying, “They’re a truly strong team — they really don’t lose.”
Source: OSEN
Ryu Hyun-jin’s 10th Win Eludes Him Again
Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin was pulled early after allowing five runs on three hits, including a home run, over three innings against the Lotte Giants on September 22, missing out on his 10th win of the season once again. He retired the side in order in the first two innings, but walked back-to-back batters in the third and unraveled, allowing an RBI single from Hwang Seong-bin, a solo homer from Na Seung-yeop, and another solo shot from Han Dong-hee for five runs in the inning. He threw 49 pitches, topping out at 145 km/h on his fastball. The team confirmed there was no physical issue afterward. Hanwha fell 0-7 to extend its losing streak to eight games.
Source: OSEN