After a four-run seventh inning to close out Game One, the Kia Tiger’s bats decided to strike a bit earlier in Game 2 of the KBO Korean Series. They chased Lions starter Hwang Dong-Jae with a five-run first inning that proved to be the knockout punch. The 8-3 victory was their second victory of the day, giving them a commanding 2-0 series lead as the series shifts back to Daegu Samsung Lions Park for Games 3 and 4.
From the first batter, it was clear that Hwang was not nearly as sharp as his first postseason start when he shut out the LG Twins for three innings. Park Chang-ho and Socrates Brito would create traffic right away with a leadoff walk and single, and MVP candidate Kim Do-yeong would drive in his first run of the series with an RBI groundout. This began another memorable two-out rally for the Tigers, as Choi Hyoung-woo would follow with an RBI single, and Kim Sun-bin would collect the only extra-base hit of the inning with a run-scoring double. Lee Woo-sung would cap off the five-run inning with a two-run single, marking the second straight game the Tigers stunned the Lions with a four-run, two-out rally.
이우성 2타점 적시타 ~~!~!~!~!~!!~ pic.twitter.com/zape4o8a33
— 뫂 (@__m00p) October 23, 2024
The offensive fireworks wouldn’t stop there, as the Lions struck again in the second inning thanks to Kim Do-yeong. The 21-year-old superstar would blast his first home run of the postseason after 38 in the regular season, giving the Tigers a 6-0 lead and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
10월 23일 (수) 삼성 vs KIA
내가 누구? 슈퍼스타! 김도영 파워풀한 솔로포!#KBO2024 #KBO #하이라이트 #야구하이라이트 #스포라이트 #SPOLIGHT #4K #UHD #포스트시즌 #한국시리즈 #KS #2차전 #KIA타이거즈 #KIA #김도영 #파워 #솔로포 #홈런 pic.twitter.com/TBD3uiVAFt— 스포라이트 SPOLIGHT (@spolight___) October 23, 2024
The advantage would be more than enough for veteran starter Yang Hyeon-jong. Making his sixth Korean Series appearance and the first since his complete-game shutout in 2017, the crafty lefty once again proved up to the task, allowing just two runs over 5.1 innings despite heavy traffic. The Lions would strand the bases loaded in the third inning and register just two runs against Yang despite collecting eight hits. The Tigers bullpen would once again stifle any chance of a comeback, allowing just one run over 3.1 innings to complete the 8-3 victory.
정해영 1K
동시에 타이거즈 한국시리즈 2차전 승리~~~압도하라 타이거즈 왕좌를 지키기 위한 왕좌의 게임 정규시즌 왕관의 무게를 견뎌내며 거둔 오늘의 두번째 승리 시리즈 초반 부터 압도하고있는 산중왕입니다 🐯 pic.twitter.com/CWPKvFeOXh
— 뫂 (@__m00p) October 23, 2024
Though they trail 2-0 in the series, the Lions will have the advantage of returning home for the next two contests. This is welcome news for an ice-cold offense, as the hitter-friendly dimensions helped the Lions lead the KBO in home runs and score 20 runs in the two home games during the second round. The first pitch of Game Three will be Friday at 5:30 a.m. EST.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
