Gwangju:The Kia Tigers rallied to defeat the Samsung Lions 4-2, staving off elimination in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. The victory on Friday was secured by the Tigers' ability to capitalize on errors by the Lions, setting the stage for a decisive game this weekend.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Tigers transformed a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead during the bottom of the seventh inning at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,900. The pivotal moment came when Han Jun-su delivered a tie-breaking hit following a fielding error by Lions' third baseman Kim Young-woong, contributing to his two-RBI night.
Jeon Sang-hyun closed the game by securing the final six outs, earning his first save of the series. The win ties the best-of-five series at 2-2, with the final game scheduled for 2 p.m. at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. The victor will advance to the Korean Series against the KT Wiz starting Tuesday.
The game saw starting pitchers James Naile for the Tigers and Chris Paddack for the Lions, both pitching on three days' rest. The Lions initially took the lead with Ryu Ji-hyuk driving in a run, but Naile limited them to just one run in the second inning. Paddack initially held the Tigers in check, but they managed to solve him in the fourth inning with Han Jun-su's single tying the game at 1-1.
The Lions regained a 2-1 lead with a solo home run by Choi Hyoung-woo, but the Tigers responded in the seventh inning, taking advantage of defensive errors by the Lions. Kim Do-yeong's grounder and subsequent plays allowed the Tigers to seize a 4-2 lead, which they maintained to force the deciding game.