The 'defending champion' KIA Tigers, led by MVP Kim Do-young's game-winning home run, stopped the Samsung Lions' four-game winning streak.

KIA won 7-6 against Samsung in an away game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 23rd. Meanwhile, Samsung’s winning streak was halted at '3' after the game against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 20th.

KIA, featuring foreign pitcher James Nail as the starting pitcher, established its lineup with shortstop Park Chan-ho, second baseman Yoon Do-hyun, third baseman Kim Do-young, designated hitter Choi Hyung-woo, first baseman Oh Seon-woo, left fielder Kim Seok-hwan, right fielder Lee Woo-sung, catcher Kim Tae-gun, and center fielder Park Jeong-woo.

Samsung arranged its batting order with center fielder Kim Ji-chan, right fielder Kim Seong-yun, designated hitter Koo Ja-wook, first baseman Lewin Diaz, third baseman Kim Yeong-woong, left fielder Kim Heon-gon, second baseman Ryu Ji-hyeok, catcher Kim Jae-seong, and shortstop Lee Jae-hyun. The starting pitcher was Hwang Dong-jae.

The first score belonged to KIA. After one out in the second inning, Lee Woo-sung hit a single up the middle and Kim Tae-gun's infield single gave them runners on first and second. Park Jeong-woo struck out swinging after a full count, but Park Chan-ho drew a walk to load the bases. Yoon Do-hyun's hit allowed Lee Woo-sung and Kim Tae-gun to cross home plate, successfully taking a 2-0 lead.

Samsung quickly retaliated in the second inning. Lead-off hitter Lewin Diaz reached base with a single up the middle. Kim Yeong-woong hit a double to right field, putting runners on second and third. Kim Heon-gon and Ryu Ji-hyeok each struck out in succession. With two outs and runners on first and second, Kim Jae-seong hit a single up the middle, bringing everyone home. The score was tied at 2-2.

KIA regained the lead 3-2 in the third inning, thanks to a walk by Choi Hyung-woo and a hit by Kim Seok-hwan, which put runners on first and third, followed by an infield groundout by Lee Woo-sung.

Then Samsung seized the opportunity to take the lead in the fourth inning with a single by Kim Yeong-woong, a hit-by-pitch on Kim Heon-gon, and a sacrifice bunt by Ryu Ji-hyeok, putting runners on second and third with one out. Kim Jae-seong hit a single to left-center, tying the game at 3-3. With runners on first and third, Lee Jae-hyun's sacrifice fly to center field gave Samsung a 4-3 lead.

KIA tied it 4-4 in the fifth inning with a double by Oh Seon-woo and a wild pitch, followed by an infield groundout by Kim Seok-hwan.

In the seventh inning, with the score tied at 4-4, Samsung seized a great opportunity with consecutive hits by Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Ji-chan, putting runners on first and third with one out. KIA's bench brought in left-hander Choi Ji-min to replace starter James Nail. Kim Seong-yun hit a fly ball to left field. Third-base runner Lee Jae-hyun attempted to re-touch but was thrown out at home. Samsung’s bench requested a video review, but the original call was upheld.

In the eighth inning, with one out and a runner on first, Kim Do-young crushed a two-run homer off Samsung's Kim Jae-yoon, hitting a fastball clocked at 145 km/h over the fence. KIA went on to score one more run with Lee Woo-sung's timely hit.

In the eighth inning, during their attack, Kim Yeong-woong hit a two-run home run to right field, pulling Samsung within one run, but they were unable to create a dramatic situation.

KIA's starting pitcher James Nail recorded 6⅓ innings with 8 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs. Samsung's starter Hwang Dong-jae pitched 2⅓ innings with 4 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs.

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