Changwon, South Korea — In a display of offensive firepower, the NC Dinos ousted the Doosan Bears from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason with a 14-9 victory on Thursday night. The win in the wild card game came not just from star players, but from contributions across the lineup, according to Dinos' manager Kang In-kwon.
The information was confirmed by Yonhap News Agency, which highlighted key performances from No. 7 hitter Seo Ho-cheol, who hit a grand slam, and No. 8 hitter Kim Hyung-jun, a catcher who contributed two home runs. Despite these standout performances, Kang emphasized that the victory was a collective effort.
"I had some concerns about how we were going to play this game, but the players all did their job really well," said Kang. "I think their focus made the difference in this game."
Trailing 3-0 after three innings, the Dinos staged a comeback, with Seo's grand slam in the fourth inning turning the tide. The Bears managed to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the fifth, but the Dinos regained control with timely runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
While praising Seo and Kim, Kang also voiced concerns about closer Lee Yong-chan, who has struggled recently, giving up three runs in Thursday's matchup. Kang stated he is considering changes but emphasized his commitment to Lee.
"Lee Yong-chan has been our closer the entire year, and I don't know if it's the right thing to do to remove him from that role," Kang said.
On the other side, Bears' first-year manager Lee Seung-yuop expressed disappointment but also optimism for the future.
"We made it this far because of the players. It's really disappointing to have it end after just one game," Lee said. "I've now gained confidence that I can take this team even higher next year."