The Samsung Lions showed no ill effects from a two-week layoff with a 14-hit display in a 10-4 victory over the LG Twins in the Playoff round. The Lions now lead the best-of-five series 1-0 as they look to advance to a Korean Series matchup against the Kia Tigers amidst the KBO Playoffs.
As they had during the regular season, the Lions’ fearsome middle-of-the-order led the way with an incredible display of hitting, as Yoon Jeong-bin, Koo Ja-wook, and Lewin Diaz combined for seven hits, six RBI and two home runs. Though all three hitters made life miserable for Twins pitching, it was the cleanup man Koo who struck the biggest blow. Picking up right where he left off from a regular season in which he hit .343 with 33 home runs, Koo broke the game open with a three-run homer in the fourth.
구자욱 3점 홈런 미쳤나봐 진짜 pic.twitter.com/XMDaZY5m3g
— 청 (@cheong4__1) October 13, 2024
Following a poor start against the KT Wiz in the first round, Twins starter Choi Won-tae was once again ineffective. He allowed five runs over just three innings of work, getting knocked out in the game in the fourth after letting up a Kim Young-woong solo shot.
디아즈 투런!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/YCgnfC2LwT
— 경산대장 (@simba__18) October 13, 2024
The bullpen, however, wouldn’t fare much better. Diaz would add two more in the fifth with a home run to right field, and a pair of wild pitches in the eighth inning would push the Lions to double digits.
On the other side, Lions starter Denyi Reyes would put together a much better performance. Though he struck out just one batter, the veteran right-hander would allow one earned run over 6 2/3 innings. The Lions would mix-and-match six different relievers over the final 2 1/3 innings, but the end result was a decisive Game One victory that puts them just two wins away from the Korean Series.
The two clubs will meet again on Monday for another matchup at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. The Twins will look to even the series when they give the ball to 13-game winner Dietrich Enns. The veteran right-hander is coming off a rare bad start against the Twins in which he allowed four runs over 3 1/3 innings of work. The Lions, meanwhile, will turn to the well-rested Won Tae-in, who led the KBO in wins with 15 victories during the regular season along with a 3.66 ERA. The first pitch of Game Two will be at 1:00 a.m. EST.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: Outfielder Koo Ja-Wook #5 of Samsung Lions bats in the top of the ninth inning during the KBO League game between Samsung Lions and Doosan Bears at the Jamsil Stadium on June 17, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
