KIA succeeded in returning to a .500 winning percentage by defeating Doosan, which dismissed manager Lee Seung-yup.
The KIA Tigers won 11-3 against the Doosan Bears in the 7th game of the season of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held on the 3rd at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.
KIA, along with a strong start in the three-game series, was able to return to a .500 winning percentage for the first time in five days since May 29, with recent back-to-back wins and a six-game winning streak against Doosan. Its record stands at 28 wins, 1 draw, and 28 losses. On the other hand, Doosan, which has recently suffered three consecutive losses and has lost six straight against KIA, now has a record of 23 wins, 3 draws, and 33 losses. Despite the resignation of manager Lee Seung-yup on the 2nd, they failed to change the team's atmosphere.
On the road, KIA faced Doosan's starting pitcher Kwak Bin with the starting lineup of Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Yoon Do-hyun (second baseman), Patrick Wisdom (third baseman), Oh Sun-woo (designated hitter), Kim Seok-hwan (left fielder), Hwang Dae-in (first baseman), Kim Tae-kyun (catcher), and Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder).
Regarding the exclusion of the solver Choi Hyung-woo from the starting lineup, manager Lee Bum-ho noted, "He seems to be feeling heavy after a long time. Originally, he should have been rested against KT, but he insisted on playing due to team circumstances. The training staff also suggested that it might be good to give him a day off today. I think he would feel better after two days of rest yesterday and today. I will use him immediately when a chance arises later today."
Doosan, led by acting manager Jo Sung-hwan, faced KIA's starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong with the lineup of Jung Soo-bin (center fielder), Kim Dae-han (left fielder), Cave (right fielder), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Kim Gi-yeon (catcher), Lim Jong-seong (third baseman), Kim Min-hyuk (first baseman), Kim Jun-sang (second baseman), and Park Jun-soon (shortstop). Initially, the starting catcher Yang Eui-ji was included in the lineup, but he complained of back pain just before acting manager Jo Sung-hwan's pre-briefing, leading to an emergency change in the lineup.
From the first inning, the KIA lineup strongly attacked Kwak Bin, who was returning from injury. Starting with lead-off hitter Park Chan-ho, Choi Won-jun and Yoon Do-hyun coaxed three consecutive walks, putting runners on all the bases with no outs. Although Wisdom struck out looking, Oh Sun-woo hit a two-RBI double that fell next to the left fielder, and with the bases still loaded due to a walk to Kim Seok-hwan, Hwang Dae-in hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring another run.
Doosan immediately retaliated in the bottom of the first inning. Lead-off hitter Jung Soo-bin got a hit, and Kim Dae-han advanced the base, creating a situation with one out and a runner on second base, where Cave hit an RBI single to narrow the deficit.
KIA's lineup regained momentum in the top of the fourth inning after Kwak Bin went down and rookie Yang Jae-hoon came in. They showcased impressive concentration with two outs. Kim Ho-ryeong hit a single into left center for a double, and after Park Chan-ho drew a walk on a full count to set up runners on first and second with two outs, Choi Won-jun, Yoon Do-hyun, and Wisdom each hit consecutive RBI singles to take control of the game.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Doosan managed to score one run after lead-off hitter Park Jun-soon's hit and an advancing groundout by Kim Dae-han, but they could only cut the deficit down to one run due to an absurd fielding error by right fielder Choi Won-jun with two outs and a runner on second.
KIA turned the top of the eighth inning, leading 6-2, into a big inning. Lead-off hitter Hwang Dae-in walked after eight pitches, and Kim Tae-kyun advanced the base with a sacrifice bunt, putting one out and a runner on second. Then Kim Ho-ryeong hit a double, Park Chan-ho followed with another double, Choi Won-jun hit a double, and Yoon Do-hyun capped it off with another RBI double, leading to a decisive offensive display. KIA didn't stop there; with Oh Sun-woo's hit, they scored another run on a fielding error by first baseman Kim Dong-jun.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Doosan scored one run after getting a walk from lead-off hitter Kim Min-seok and a hit from Kim Dong-jun, followed by a sacrifice fly from Park Jun-soon.
KIA's starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong pitched five innings with five hits allowed, one walk, and five strikeouts, giving up two runs (one earned), securing his fourth win of the season (4 losses). Following him, Seong Yeong-tak (one inning, no runs), Jeon Sang-hyun (one inning, no runs), Choi Ji-min (one inning, no runs), and Hong Won-bin (one inning, one run) took over the mound. Hong Won-bin, selected 10th overall in the second round of the 2019 draft, showcased a top speed of 154 km/h in his debut appearance, indicating a bright future ahead.
The offense demonstrated firepower by scoring 11 runs on 12 hits. Choi Won-jun led the attack with 3 hits in 3 at-bats, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, and 3 runs scored, while Yoon Do-hyun, Wisdom, Oh Sun-woo, and Kim Ho-ryeong each recorded multi-hit games. Park Chan-ho contributed with 1 hit, 1 RBI, 2 walks, and 3 runs scored.
On the other hand, Doosan's starting pitcher Kwak Bin became the losing pitcher in his first appearance of the season, pitching three innings with one hit allowed, five walks, six strikeouts, and three runs allowed on 66 pitches. The two hits from Cave and rookie Park Jun-soon went unnoticed.
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