Kim Do-yeong’s 2 HRs win KIA Game 1
The KIA Tigers beat the LG Twins 5-1 in Game 1 of the best-of-five semi-playoff at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 17th. LG struck first on Song Chan-ui’s solo home run in the top of the 2nd, but KIA answered right away with Castro’s game-tying solo shot in the bottom half. In the 4th, Kim Do-yeong hit Anders Tolhurst’s first pitch for a go-ahead solo homer that stood as the winning run, and in the 6th KIA added a run on Kim’s sacrifice fly after back-to-back LG errors set up the chance. With two outs and a runner on first in the 8th, Kim sealed it with a two-run blast over the center-field wall off Jang Hyun-sik. Kim went 2-for-3 with two homers and four RBIs, while starter James Naile earned the win with seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out six.
Source: My Daily
Naile’s intentional walk was his own call
One moment from Game 1 of the semi-playoff drew attention: in the 6th inning, with a runner on second and nobody out, KIA Tigers starter James Naile fell behind 3-0 to the LG Twins’ Austin and then chose an automatic intentional walk without throwing another pitch. After the game, manager Lee Bum-ho said the decision did not come from the bench. “I think Naile wanted to save even a single pitch,” he explained. “For a team’s ace, I think it’s only natural to make that kind of choice in a three-ball count,” he added, backing his ace’s judgment. After the walk, Naile pitched more carefully to the hitters that followed and escaped the jam, and KIA held its lead to take the first win of the series.
Source: Star News
LG’s Yeom signals Game 2 lineup changes
After falling 5-1 to the KIA Tigers in Game 1 of the semi-playoff, the LG Twins have now lost eight straight to KIA, a streak that began in the regular season. According to Ilgan Sports, LG collected seven hits and two walks but scored only once, on Song Chan-ui’s solo home run. A runner was thrown out on the bases in the 2nd, and a chance with runners on first and second in the 6th produced no RBI hit. The pattern of relying almost entirely on home runs for runs also showed in Wild Card Game 1 on the 14th and in the regular-season finale against KIA on the 12th. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop took a gamble in the 8th, pulling Hong Chang-ki for power-hitting pinch hitter Lee Jae-won, and said after the game, “There will be a change in the batting order (for Game 2).”
Source: Ilgan Sports
Samsung’s PO third base: Kim or Jeon?
With Game 1 of the playoffs set for the 25th, the Samsung Lions still have to settle on a starting third baseman. Kim Young-woong was a postseason star last year, going 10-for-16 (.625) with three home runs and 12 RBIs in five playoff games, but injuries and a slump limited him to a .167 average with five homers and 18 RBIs in 57 games this season. Jeon Byung-woo, meanwhile, hit .238 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 118 games, career highs in home runs, runs and RBIs, and stood out with a .355 on-base percentage. His career postseason average, however, is just .190 (8-for-42). My Daily noted that all eyes are on manager Park Jin-man’s choice between Kim’s power and range at third and Jeon’s steady consistency.
Source: My Daily
Lotte starts camp with leadership undecided
The Lotte Giants, who finished seventh this season (64-77-3) and missed the postseason for a ninth straight year, will open their wrap-up training at Sajik Stadium on the 19th before heading to Miyazaki, Japan, for an overseas camp from November 4. Eight players will also spend about three weeks in the United States: four position players, including Jeon Min-jae and Ko Seung-min, at Driveline in Washington state, and four pitchers, including Hong Min-gi, at Tread Athletics in North Carolina. Jeon, part of this year’s starting double-play combination, said, “This year, I’ll work hard to grow as a hitter through Driveline.” Meanwhile, the futures of manager Kim Tae-hyung and general manager Park Jun-hyuk remain undecided, as both of their three-year contracts end this year. OSEN expects a decision sometime next week, when team training resumes.
Source: OSEN