The professional baseball team Samsung Lions escaped a three-game losing streak after a long battle in extra innings.
Samsung won 6-3 against the Kiwoom Heroes in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 20th, ending their three-game losing streak.
Starting pitcher Won Tae-in pitched 8 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, striking out 6, and conceding 1 run; however, closer Lee Ho-sung allowed the tying run in the 9th inning, jeopardizing Won's victory. The bullpen, comprising Lee Ho-sung (1 inning, 1 run), Baek Jong-hyun (1 inning, no runs), and Kim Jae-yoon (1 inning, 1 run), permitted a tie but ultimately secured the victory.
Kim Young-woong led the victory by hitting his 7th home run of the season, going 2 for 4 with 1 home run, 1 RBI, 1 run, and 1 walk. It was his first career home run at Gocheok Dome. Koo Ja-wook swung his bat fiercely, going 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and 1 walk, while Ryu Ji-hyuk and Kim Ji-chan also achieved multi-hits. Kim Ji-chan became the hero of the game by delivering the winning RBI in the 11th inning.
After allowing the first score to Kiwoom in the bottom of the 5th inning, Samsung retaliated immediately in the top of the 6th. With one out, Kim Ji-chan hit a single, and Koo Ja-wook drew a walk. Diaz hit a run-scoring single to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, Kiwoom had a chance to load the bases with one out after Oh Sun-jin's hit, Song Sung-moon's double, and Lee Joo-hyung being hit by a pitch. However, Samsung forced a 6-4-3 double play from Cardenas, escaping the bases loaded threat without allowing any runs. In the top of the 9th, Kim Young-woong hit a go-ahead solo home run, taking a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 9th, closer Lee Ho-sung faced a bases-loaded situation with no outs after Lee Hyung-jong's hit, Lim Byeong-wook's double, and Kim Tae-jin's walk, allowing a 1-RBI sacrifice fly to Kim Dong-heon and conceding a tying run at 2-2. However, in the top of the 11th, Lee Sung-kyu drew a walk, Yang Do-geun executed a sacrifice bunt, Kim Young-woong received an automatic intentional walk, Ryu Ji-hyuk drew a walk, Kim Ji-chan hit a run-scoring single, and Koo Ja-wook hit a 3-RBI double, putting them back ahead at 6-2. In the bottom of the 11th, they allowed a run with Lim Byeong-wook's triple and Kim Tae-jin's sacrifice fly but did not allow any further runs to finish the game.
Samsung manager Park Jin-man stated in a post-game interview, "Although I did not become the winning pitcher, I believe that thanks to starting pitcher Won Tae-in's best pitching of the season, we succeeded in escaping the losing streak," praising Won's performance of 8 innings and 1 run.
"The late-game solo home run by Kim Young-woong, the winning hit by Kim Ji-chan, and the insurance RBI by Koo Ja-wook all stemmed from the players' earnest mindset," Park Jin-man noted, encouraging the hitters who showed great performance that day. He expressed gratitude to the fans, saying, "Thanks to the support of the traveling fans who came to the ballpark, the players were able to persevere until the end and show their fighting spirit."
Samsung is set to start Ariel Hulado as the starting pitcher on the 21st. Kiwoom will have Ha Young-min as their starting pitcher.
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