The Samsung Lions of professional baseball have blown the whistle on a five-game winning streak.
Samsung won 8-4 against the NC Dinos in a home game held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 27th, thanks to the performance of starting pitcher Denny Reyes and foreign batter Lewin Diaz. This marks their fifth consecutive win since the game against the Daegu KIA Tigers on the 23rd. Samsung, achieving its 13th full-capacity crowd of the season, delivered the best gift of a victory to its fans. On the other hand, NC has fallen into a three-game losing streak after losing all three weekend games.
Samsung, featuring foreign pitcher Denny Reyes as the starting pitcher, set its lineup with center fielder Kim Sung-yoon, third baseman Ryu Ji-hyuk, left fielder Koo Ja-wook, first baseman Lewin Diaz, shortstop Lee Jae-hyun, right fielder Kim Hun-gon, designated hitter Kim Young-hoon, catcher Lee Byung-heon, and second baseman Yang Do-geun.
In response, NC set their batting order with second baseman Park Min-woo, center fielder Han Seok-hyun, right fielder Son Ah-seop, designated hitter Kwon Hee-dong, first baseman Seo Ho-cheol, third baseman Kim Hwi-jip, left fielder Park Si-won, catcher Kim Hyung-jun, and shortstop Kim Joo-won. The starting pitcher was Shin Min-hyuk.
Samsung succeeded in asserting its strength with back-to-back homers by Koo Ja-wook and Diaz in the first inning. With one out and no runners on base, Ryu Ji-hyuk hit a single to left field after a full count against NC starter Shin Min-hyuk. Koo Ja-wook stepped up to the plate and pulled the third pitch (139 km) over the right field fence. The distance was 130 meters. Soon after, Diaz launched a solo home run of 120 meters against Shin Min-hyuk. The score was 3-0.
In the fifth inning, after one out, Diaz hit another home run. He capitalized on the third pitch (146 km) from the second pitcher Kim Jin-ho, connecting with a solo homer. NC began to fight back in the sixth inning, trailing by four runs. After a lead-off single by Han Seok-hyun and a double to left field by Son Ah-seop, they scored one run. With no outs and a runner on second, Kwon Hee-dong grounded out to second base, but in the meantime, Son Ah-seop advanced to third. Seo Ho-cheol hit a single to left field, adding another point.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Samsung created a chance with two outs and runners on first and second after Ryu Ji-hyuk's single and Koo Ja-wook's walk. Diaz and Lee Jae-hyun hit timely hits, extending the lead to 6-2. In the seventh inning, after one out, NC took advantage of Kim Hyung-jun's debut triple and a hit by pitch on Kim Joo-won to create a scoring opportunity on first and third. Do Tae-hoon followed with a double to left-center, and Han Seok-hyun's ground ball to the infield added two more runs. Samsung, needing more runs, added a decisive two-run single from Ryu Ji-hyuk with two outs and runners on second and third in the seventh inning.
Starting pitcher Reyes, who had taken a brief break due to shoulder inflammation, returned to the first team stage on this day and added a win after 21 days since the game against the Daegu Hanwha Eagles on the 6th, completing five innings with two hits allowed, two walks, one strikeout, and no earned runs.
Diaz showed his prowess as a solution provider, hitting his 10th and 11th homers of the season, with a performance of 4 at-bats, 3 hits, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Ryu Ji-hyuk contributed with 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, while Lee Jae-hyun also completed the game with 3 hits.
NC's starting right-handed pitcher Shin Min-hyuk became the losing pitcher after pitching four innings, allowing six hits (two home runs), two walks, three strikeouts, and three earned runs. Seo Ho-cheol was the only player on the team to achieve a multi-hit game.
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