SEOUL - The NC Dinos defeated the SSG Landers 4-3 on Sunday, launching their first-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason on a high note.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, the closely contested game took place at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, west of Seoul.
Strong starting pitching and crucial hitting were the story for the Dinos. Starting pitcher Shin Min-hyeok delivered a scoreless effort, handing over the game to the bullpen after 5 2/3 innings. The game's pivotal moment came in the top of the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Kim Seong-uk blasted a two-run home run, breaking the scoreless tie.
The Landers managed to respond in the bottom of the eighth with a sacrifice fly by Choi Jeong, but the Dinos added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. These additional runs proved vital as the Landers rallied for two runs in the bottom ninth, ultimately falling short by just one run.
Game 2 of this best-of-five series is scheduled to take place in Incheon at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Historically, the team winning the first game in a best-of-five first round has gone on to win the series 71% of the time.
Both teams exhibited strong pitching through the first seven innings. Landers starter Roenis Elias needed only 66 pitches through six innings and allowed only two singles. Conversely, Shin Min-hyeok, in his first career postseason start, pitched around four singles.
In the top of the ninth, the Dinos expanded their lead. Park Min-woo led off with a single, stole third base, and scored on Jason Martin's single. Martin himself stole second and scored the Dinos' fourth run on Seo Ho-cheol's RBI single.
The Landers did not go down quietly, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth inning courtesy of Ha Jae-hoon's two-run home run off Dinos closer Lee Yong-chan. However, it was not enough to overtake the Dinos' lead.
Reliever Kim Young-kyu was credited with the win, throwing 1 1/3 shutout innings in relief of Shin. Elias took the loss, his only blemish being the two-run home run by Kim Seong-uk.