The much-anticipated opening contest between the Kia Tigers and the Samsung Lions came to a halt in the sixth inning as the umpires determined that the field was no longer playable. Play will resume on Tuesday with the Lions leading the Tigers 1-0, marking the first suspended game in KBO postseason history.
Before the inclement weather became the main story, fans were treated to a pitcher’s duel between two of the league’s best hurlers. Coming off a brilliant start in the second round against the LG Twins, 15-game winner Won Tae-in shut out the league’s best offense through five innings. Matching him pitch-for-pitch was James Naile, who was making his first start since being struck in the face by a line drive on August 24.
With both pitchers on top of their game, the game remained scoreless, headed into the sixth inning. Facing the heart of the Lions order, Naile would be the first to blink. Veteran outfielder Kim Hun-go would lead off the frame with a solo home run to right, already his third homer of the postseason after just nine in the regular season.
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That homer would knock Naile out of the game, and Samsung would put two more runners on against reliever Jang Hung-sik. With the Lions on the verge of breaking the game open, the rain came to the Tigers’ aid, and the game was halted with runners on first and second and a 1-0 count on power-hitting third baseman Kim Young-Woong.
The game is scheduled to resume at 3:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday. Game Two will remain at 5:30 a.m. unless the suspended game extends past 4:30. In that case, the second contest will start one hour after the final pitch of the first game.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: An umpire calls a rain delay. (Getty Images)
