The Doosan Bears rode a come-from-behind grand slam by infielder Kang Seung-ho (29) and a strong performance by right-handed starter Raul Alcantara (30) to defeat the Kiwoom Heroes and extend their winning streak to seven games.
Doosan won 5-2 at home against Kiwoom in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul at 6 p.m. on Aug. 8.
With its seventh straight win, Doosan improved to 40 wins (36-1) and remained in third place. Alcantara threw 112 pitches in six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six to improve to 9-3 on the season. At the plate, Kang Seung-ho hit the game-winning home run in the fourth inning.
Kiwoom, on the other hand, dropped its third straight game and remained in sixth place with a 38-2 record. Right-hander Choi Won-tae suffered his fourth loss (sixth) of the season after throwing 104 pitches in six innings, allowing five runs and three hits (one home run) while walking three and striking out five. At the plate, Lee Jung-hoo went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the loss.
It was Kiwoom who struck first. In the top of the third inning, Kim Ju-hyung led off with a single to right. After a sacrifice bunt by Kim Jun-wan put runners on first and second, “Alcantara Killer” Song Sung-moon took advantage of Alcantara’s fastball in the middle of the plate for a leadoff double to right-center.
Doosan harassed Choi Won-tae, who was perfect through three innings, in the fourth. Leadoff hitter Jung Soo-bin singled up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt by Kim Jae-ho and a walk by Jose Rojas, Yang walked and Kim Jae-hwan was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Yang then drew a full-count walk against Choi Won-tae.
With the bases loaded, Kang Seung-ho stepped to the plate and took a 128-kilometer-per-hour changeup up the middle from Choi Won-tae for a game-winning grand slam. Doosan scored five runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead.
Kiwoom didn’t back down easily. In the top of the sixth inning, 메이저놀이터 Lee Jung-hoo hit a double down the left field line. With two outs, Lee Hyung-jong grounded out to the third baseman, but Kim Woong-bin followed with an RBI double to left-center. Kiwoom made it 5-2.
With the three-run lead intact, Doosan activated its ‘must-win group’. In the top of the seventh, right-handed reliever Kim Myung-shin came in and struck out three. In the top of the eighth, Doosan brought in right-handed reliever Jung Chul-won to shut down the Kiwoom bats. In the top of the ninth, right-handed reliever Hong Gun-hee came in to close out the game. The game ended with a 5-2 victory for Doosan.