Kia Tigers outfielder Lee Woo-sung saved the day again. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the game on the line, Lee hit a dramatic two-run double to tie the game. It was a shame that Lee was left off the field in the extra innings.
KIA played to a 7-7 draw against the NC Dinos in Gwangju on June 18.
KIA and NC battled to the wire throughout the three-game series this weekend. Today was no different. After giving up two runs in the top of the first inning, KIA fought back in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead with RBI singles from Shin Beom-soo and Choi Won-jun.
Park Gun-woo's homer in the top of the fifth, Byun Woo-hyuk's homer in the bottom of the sixth, and Kim Sung-wook's homer in the top of the seventh gave KIA a 5-4 lead going into the seventh inning.
KIA sent Jang Hyun-sik to the mound in the top of the eighth. However, Jang gave up a leadoff single to Jae-Hwan Shin and a tying double to Seo Ho-Cheol two batters later. The KIA bench brought up another left-hander, Choi Ji-min, but he gave up a shocking two-run homer to pinch-hitter Yoon Hyung-jun.
Trailing 5-7 in the bottom of the ninth, KIA faced opposing closer Lee Yong-chan in its final at-bat. With two outs and runners on first and second after a walk by Choi Won-jun and a single by Park Chan-ho, Lee Woo-sung took advantage of a four-pitch forkball from Lee Yoo-chan and smashed a two-run double into the left field seats to tie the game and send the atmosphere at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field into overdrive.
With the game heading into extra innings, Lee Woo-sung was replaced by catcher Kim Sun-woo to finish the game. Without Lee, the Kia bats struggled in extra innings and the game ended in a 7-7 tie.
In 50 games this season, Lee Woo-sung has had an incredible season, hitting .329 with 47 hits, five home runs, 20 RBIs, a .398 on-base percentage, and a .483 slugging percentage. He has recently taken over the starting right field spot, and the team is looking forward to the synergy in the outfield with Lee Woo-sung if Na Sung-bum returns soon.
KIA manager Kim Jong-guk said, "Lee Woo-sung is our main right fielder right now. He has both long power and accuracy in his batting, and his defense is stable. He looks a little dull from the outside, but he is good at both defense and baserunning. 메이저놀이터 Even though he is a catcher, his base running and defense are amazing," he said, giving him a thumbs-up.
"I've been on the team for a few years now, and I've always been impressed by the enthusiasm of the KIA fans. Hearing them cheer at a baseball game in the fall last year gave me chills. I want to hear the KIA fans' cheers from a higher level until the end of the fall baseball season. There is nothing personal about it. I don't care if I don't get a hit, as long as I can get in scoring position and score a run for my team to win. My biggest goal is to make the Kia fans smile every day by making even one small play to help the team win."
With such a 'dominant spirit', KIA fans are happy every day.
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