A balk in the 11th inning of play from Lotte Giants pitcher Kim Dae-woo gave the deciding run to the Hanhwa Eagles, finishing the game with a score of 5-4.
The final scoring play stopped late momentum that the Giants earned in the game which allowed them to tie it up and go into extra innings.
The Eagles wrapped up the series with two wins over the Giants, who took the Saturday game at Hanhwa Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, Korea.
Lee Seung-heon Injured Early
Giants starter Lee Seung-heon had to be removed in the third inning after taking a line drive to the head. Down for several minutes, Seung-heon was stretchered off the field. Later, a scan revealed a “slight forehead fracture,” per Daniel Kim.
Replacing the injured starter, Song Seung-jun entered the third inning with bases loaded and one out. Hits from Ha Ju-suk and Lee Seung-yeol allowed the team to get up by three runs before the inning concluded.
An inning later, Kim Hoe-sung was able to bring home another run, making the game 4-0.
Giants Mount Comeback
The Giants started to mount a comeback in the fifth, with Dixon Machado sending a solo home run into left field, his fourth of the year.
Eagles starter Kim Min-woo was taken out of the game after seven innings, giving up only two hits.
Much later in the eighth inning, Jeon Jun-woo launched a ball into left field for a two-run home run. The Giants veteran got his fourth of the season, bringing the lead to one run for the Eagles.
Joining the party of home runs, Han Dong-hee tied up the game in the ninth with a solo shot.
Balk Causes End To Game
When Kim Dae-ho was pitching with two outs and a man on third in the 11th, he balked while throwing the third pitch against Jung Jin-ho. After some debate, it was ruled that Jang Woon-ho would score from third, ending the game.
Giants To Meet Tigers and Heroes For The First Time In 2020
The Giants finish their second week of play with a record of 7-4, putting them in a three-way tie for second in the league. They went 2-4 this week, playing a flawless 5-0 the week before.
Next week, the Giants are set to play a series against the Kia Tigers (5-7) and the Kiwoom Heroes (7-5). The first game of the week kicks off at 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT) on Tuesday at the Gwangju Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, Korea.
Around The KBO
The Kiwoom Heroes finished their series with the LG Twins with a win, defeating the home team 9-4. Heroes starter Eric Jokisch kept the Twins to two hits during his six-inning performance.
Sweeping their series, the KT Wiz defeated the Samsung Lions 9-2. In his third appearance this season, Wiz starter Odrisaimer Despaigne got his first win of the season. Lions starter Ben Lively left the game early after a hand injury.
Although the Kia Tigers gained momentum in the ninth inning, it wasn’t enough to defeat the Doosan Bears, who won 6-4.
With strong batting throughout the game, the NC Dinos beat the SK Wyverns 11-5. The Dinos won all six of their games this week and now sit atop the KBO standings with a 10-1 record.
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