Lotte’s Stunning 15-10 Comeback Win
The Lotte Giants staged a dramatic comeback against the Kiwoom Heroes at Sajik Stadium on August 18, overturning an 0-8 deficit to win 15-10. Lotte erupted for 13 runs in a single seventh inning, tying the KBO record for the second-most runs scored in one inning in league history. The rally began with a Hwang Sung-bin double, and Han Dong-hee’s 130-meter grand slam (his 15th of the season) quickly narrowed the gap. Son Sung-bin’s clutch hit gave Lotte the lead, and consecutive hits from Hwang Sung-bin, Na Seung-yeop, Reyes, and Han Dong-hee extended it to a five-run margin. Starter Beasley struggled, allowing 8 runs over 6 innings, but was spared the loss thanks to the offensive explosion, while Lee Min-seok closed it out for the win.
Source: Newsis
Kim Do-yeong’s 36th HR, Lee Ui-ri’s First 4-Out Save
The KIA Tigers defeated the Hanwha Eagles 4-3 at Hanwha Life Park in Daejeon on August 18, extending their winning streak to three games. KIA took the lead in the fourth inning with RBI hits from Kim Ho-ryeong, Yoon Do-hyun, and Park Jae-hyun, then Kim Do-yeong sealed the momentum with a solo home run to left field in the seventh — his 36th of the season. Starter Nael earned his ninth win of the season with six innings and three strikeouts. Closer Lee Ui-ri entered with two outs in the eighth, striking out Kang Baek-ho and getting Noh Si-hwan to fly out to center, recording the first four-out save of his career and his third save of the season to shut down Hanwha’s late rally.
Source: MyDaily
Moon Jung-bin’s First Career Grand Slam Powers LG’s 9-1 Rout
The LG Twins routed the KT Wiz 9-1 at Jamsil Stadium on August 18. Cleanup hitter Moon Jung-bin blasted his first career grand slam with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning, sending a 147 km/h sinker from KT starter So Hyeong-jun over the right-field wall for his 14th home run of the season. The blast, hit at 171.9 km/h exit velocity and traveling 121.4 meters, gave him a career-high five RBIs in a single game. Moon said he had vowed to “make them pay” after a disappointing at-bat earlier in the game. He added another RBI double to left-center in the seventh with runners on first and third. Starter Im Chan-gyu turned in a quality start, allowing just one run on three hits over six innings to move into a share of the league lead in wins.
Source: OSEN
Samsung Closer Blows Another Save, SSG Rallies 5-4
SSG Landers pulled off a dramatic ninth-inning comeback to beat the Samsung Lions 5-4 at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on August 18. Samsung held the lead through the eighth inning, but closer Kim Jae-yun failed to record a single out while allowing four runs, undone by a wild pitch and a costly error. The collapse was so stunning that many of the roughly 23,000 fans in attendance headed for the exits before the game ended. Kim has been nearly untouchable on the road with an ERA close to 0.00, but continues to struggle at home with an ERA in the mid-6.00s — a home jinx he was unable to shake once again. Jeon Yeong-jun earned the win, while Jo Byeong-hyeon picked up the save.
Source: iSports (Ilgan Sports)
Jo Su-haeng’s 3-Hit Game Lifts Doosan Past NC
The Doosan Bears defeated the NC Dinos 6-4 on the road at Changwon NC Park on August 18. Starting in center field and batting second, Jo Su-haeng went 3-for-4 with a run scored, a walk, and a stolen base, notching his first three-hit game in 458 days. The performance lifted his season batting average from .327 to .343, part of a scorching August in which he is hitting .550 (11-for-20) over eight games. For the season, Jo is batting .343 with 14 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, and an .825 OPS across 85 games, validating the four-year, 1.6 billion-won contract that kept him with Doosan as a free agent. On the mound, Kim Taek-yeon earned the win and Lee Yeong-ha picked up the save.
Source: OSEN