SOUTH KOREA – The Doosan Bears captured three narrow wins against the Hanwha Eagles last weekend to move into sole possession of first place in the Korean League.
Doosan tagged Hanhwa ace Ryu Hyeon-jin for three runs in the opening frame on Friday and held on for a 3-1 victory. Doosan starter Hong Sang-sam allowed a lone run on three hits to pick up the win.
Third baseman Kim Dong-joo and shortsto Son Si-hyeon had three RBIs apiece to lead the Bears to an 8-7 win on Saturday, and Doosan completed the series sweep with a 2-0 triumph in Sunday’s finale.
The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first on Kim Dong-joo’s RBI single that plated right fielder Yoo Jae-wong, who had reached on a two-base hit. Yoo capped the scoring in the third with a solo home run.
Kim Sang-hyeon scattered five hits in seven scoreless innings while Lim Tae-hoon registered the final six outs to record the save.
The Samsung Lions knocked SK Wyverns out of the top spot with two wins against the two-time defending league champion.
The Lions won the series opener 5-4 in a see-saw battle that saw SK bounce back from a 3-0 hole before Samsung rallied late to earn the victory. SK reliever Jeong Dae-hyeon forced in both the tying and game-winning scores with back-to-back walks in the eighth.
Samsung starter Ahn Ji-man pitched six effective innings in a no-decision effort and the Lions strung together eight hits in a seven-run seventh to capture an 8-3 victory in the second encounter. However, SK foiled the sweep with a 6-5 win in Sunday’s series finale.
KBO SCOREBOARD
Doosan Bears 3, – Hanhwa Eagles 1
Doosan Bears 8, – Hanhwa Eagles 7
Doosan Bears 2, – Hanhwa Eagles 0
Samsung 5, – SK Wyverns 4
Samsung 8, – SK Wyverns 3
SK Wyverns 6, – Samsung 5
KIA Tigers 12, – LG Twins 5
KIA Tigers 5, – LG Twins 1
KIA Tigers 7, – LG Twins 5
Seoul Heroes 7, Lotte Giants 5
Seoul Heroes 10, Lotte Giants 8
Seoul Heroes 7, Lotte Giants 3
KBO STANDINGS
| Team | Won | Lost | Tie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan | 28 | 16 | 02 |
| Wyverns | 30 | 16 | 04 |
| KIA | 26 | 21 | 03 |
| Samsung | 23 | 26 | 00 |
| LG | 22 | 25 | 03 |
| Seoul | 21 | 26 | 01 |
| Lotte | 19 | 30 | 00 |
| Hanwha | 17 | 26 | 03 |
Photo courtesy of english.visitseoul.net
Tags: South Korea