A close pitching battle went the way of the Lotte Giants on Sunday, who defeated the Samsung Lions 2-1. The game saw the Giants bounce back from two previous losses to the Lions on the road at the Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, South Korea.
Buchanan Gets Loss After Eight Innings
While the loss for the game went to Lions starter David Buchanan, his performance was one that was impressive nonetheless. Pitching eight innings, Buchanan only allowed six hits while earning seven strikeouts.
It only took a few pitches to give the Giants their deciding runs, as the first inning saw Lee Dae-ho hammer the first pitch given to him for a two-run home run.
The game was the fourth time this season that Buchanan got seven or more strikeouts, and was the second time he played eight or more innings.
Straily Earns Third Consecutive Win
Giants starter Dan Straily put on a similarily successful performance, being given the win after pitching six innings. Only allowing a run and four hits, Straily got six strikeouts in the game. Straily continues to battle for first place in the KBO for strikeouts, trailing first-place Koo Chang-mo by three strikeouts (92 in total) currently.
The sole run against Straily came late in his performance, as a home run was hit by Koo Ja-wook in the sixth inning.
The win was Straily’s third-straight for him, with earlier performances in the month seeing him go deeper into games without allowing any runs. His 2020 record in the KBO is currently 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA, which is the third lowest in the league.
Tied for third in saves is Giants played Kim Won-joong, who was given his 10th save of the season on Sunday after playing the ninth inning.
Giants and Lions Get Set For Week on The Road
Next week for the Giants continues their extended road series. The Giants will start their next week of play with a three-game series against the SK Wyverns. The team currently has a positive record of 3-2 over the Wyverns this season. After that, the team will play a series against the Kiwoom Heroes who they’ve gone 3-3 against this year.
Just like the Giants, the Lions will be on the road for the next week. The Lions will play the top-ranked NC Dinos to start their next week of play. After that, they’ll play a three-game series against the Kia Tigers.
Around The KBO
Getting a sweep in their series, the LG Twins took a 6-2 win against the Hanhwa Eagles.
A second inning that saw the NC Dinos score five runs quickly put the game out of reach for the KT Wiz. Winning 8-2, the Dinos swept their series against the Wiz.
Being down by three runs, a rally in the eighth from the SK Wyverns earned them a 4-3 win against the Kiwoom Heroes.
An 8-4 win for the Doosan Bears over the Kia Tigers saw a standout performance from Oh Jae-il, who scored five RBIs in the game.
JackWannan.com 