Dinos Prevail Over Giants In High Scoring Game

A back-and-forth game went to the NC Dinos on Thursday, winning a 9-7 match over the Lotte Giants at the Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Korea.

The game saw big innings from both teams, with the Giants even holding the lead at one point following a five-run inning.

Early Runs For Dinos

The Dinos took a two-run lead in the fourth inning after star batter Aaron Altherr hit his 14th home run of the season. Tied with teammate Na Sung-bum, Altherr sits second in the KBO for most home runs.

Taking the game to a 1-2 score, Giants player Son Ah-seop batted in a run in the fifth inning.

Giants starter Dan Straily was taken out after allowing two more runs in the fifth inning. The game became 4-1 after Altherr drove home two runs off of a hit. Oh Hyun-taek finished the inning on the mound, but not before a wild pitch brought in one more run.

Giants Score Five Runs

The Giants were able to battle back and even take the lead in the sixth after a long rally of hits. It started with a two-run home run from Han Dong-hee. After that, Dinos starter Lee Jae-hak was taken out of play. Hits from Jung Hoon and Son Ah-seop brought in three more runs, moving the game to 6-5 in favour of the Giants.

Dinos Retake Lead For Win

A two-inning push from the Dinos saw them retake the lead for the rest of the game. In the sixth, a hit from pinch hitter Yang Eui-ji scored two runs over reliever Jin Myung-ho. Jin was given the loss for the game, his first of the season.

Hits from Kwon Hee-dong and No Jin-hyuk in the seventh made the game 9-6. The hits came against Lee In-bok.

While the Giants weren’t able to take the lead, they scored one last run in the eighth off of a ground ball.

The win went to Dinos reliever Park Jin-woo, who played through five outs from innings five to seven. Taking over after him was Won Jong-hyun, who finished the game and earned his 13th save of the season.

NEXT: Dinos Head To Break Streak As Giants Aim To Retain

Winning their Wednesday and Thursday games, the Dinos won their series over the Giants two-games-to-one. The team will host a three-game series over the Kia Tigers starting Friday. The Tigers are the only team that has remained undefeated over the Dinos this season, going 2-0 in their first meeting.

The Giants head back home for their weekend series, as the team hosts a trio of games against the SK Wyverns. The Giants won two-games-to-none over the Wyverns in their first 2020 meeting.

All of Friday’s games are set to start at 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT). Both the Giants and Dinos’ games have a potential to be affected by rain.

Around The KBO

The Samsung Lions got their third-straight win over the SK Wyverns on Thursday, earning the sweep after a 6-2 victory.

A rough start for Hanhwa Eagles pitcher Warwick Saupold gave the Kia Tigers the lead early, eventually finishing with a 7-1 win.

In extra innings, a hit from Jang Sung-woo drove home the deciding run to give the KT Wiz a win over the LG Twins 4-3.

A seventh-inning rally put the Kiwoom Heroes ahead by three, defeating the Doosan Bears 10-7.

Dinos Take Secure Win Over Giants At Home

A Wednesday game went the way of the NC Dinos over the Lotte Giants with a score of 6-2. The game saw the Dinos pick up five runs on returning Giants starter Jang Won-sam, at their home park, the Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Korea.

The win saw the team tie up the series between the two teams as the Giants took an extra-innings victory on Tuesday. The series is the first between the two teams this season.

Early Power From Na

The game saw the teams exchange solo home runs early. It started in the first inning with a solo home run from Na Sung-bum, the 14th of the year for the right fielder. The hit made Na the Dinos leader for home runs, overtaking Aaron Altherr.

Tying the game up in the second was Jung Hoon, who hit a home run of his own.

Na, who got an RBI in the first inning, batted in another in the fourth to give the Dinos a lead. In the next at bat, Yang Eui-ji hit a two-run home run to make the game 4-1.

Lee Moves RBI Streak To Trio

Moving the game to 4-2, an outfield hit by Lee Dae-ho drove home a run. Lee was absent from the game’s starting lineup, being brought in as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

The play moved Lee’s streak of RBIs to three games, as well as his hitting streak to seven-in-a-row. Leading the club in RBIs, Lee sits sixth in the KBO overall.

Koo Remains Perfect As Jang Struggles In Return

Dinos starter Koo Chang-mo was pulled from the game after the seventh inning. Being awarded his seventh win of the season, Koo is tied in the KBO for most wins. Unlike the others with seven wins, Koo is the only one who has zero losses on his record.

The Dinos were able to score a run in the seventh off of an error. A throw to first by catcher Kim Joon-tae missed first base and went into right field, buying runner Park Suk-min enough time to go from first base around to home.

Giants starter Jang Won-sam was taken out of the game after the fifth run scored. The game was only his second appearance of 2020, having last played for the team in May against the Doosan Bears. Being given the loss for the game, the veteran pitcher’s 2020 record moved to 0-2.

With bases loaded, a run came in the seventh off the bat of No Jin-hyuk against reliever Park Shi-young.

Rubber Match Set For Thursday

Now tied at a game each in the series, the Dinos and Giants will play their final game on Thursday. First pitch for Thursday’s game is set for 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT).

Around The KBO

Playing the entire game, Samsung Lions starting pitcher David Buchanan allowed only four hits and one run, helping the team win 7-1 over the SK Wyverns.

A late rally of four runs from the LG Twins was not enough, dropping a game 11-5 to the KT Wiz.

Getting ahead early with 10 runs in two innings, the Doosan Bears defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 14-5.

A late ninth-inning push from the Kia Tigers gave them a walk-off victory over the Hanhwa Eagles, winning the game 4-3. Scoring three runs in the last inning, the deciding run was driven home by Na Ji-wan.

Lee Dae-ho Leads Giants To Upset Win Over Dinos

An 11th inning home run from Lee Dae-ho helped the Lotte Giants pull off a 10-8 win over the NC Dinos on Tuesday. The win, which came from the Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Korea was the first game between the two teams this season.

The high scoring game saw the teams take turns with the lead. The win is an upset, as the Giants sit six places below the first-place Dinos on the KBO rankings.

Early Runs

The Giants used 11 pitchers in the game, as their entire game relied on their relievers. Kim Dae-woo was pulled in the third inning after facing two batters.

The Dinos got ahead in the third with a rally of hits. Against pitcher Jin Myung-ho, a hit from Na Sung-bum scored two runs.

Taking the game to within a run, the Giants responded in the fourth, as a hit from An Chi-hong drove home a run.

Trading Shots

Innings six to eight were hectic as both teams scored numerous runs.

The sixth inning saw the Giants retake the lead after a two-run home run from An, who had already earned an RBI earlier on. The home run was his third of the year.

Only half an inning later, Aaron Altherr hit a two-run shot to made the game 3-4 Dinos.

Three Run Shot Puts Giants Ahead

Dinos starter Mike Wright was taken out after the sixth inning. He allowed nine hits and three runs in his outing. The team struggled in the seventh inning against Giants batting, bringing in three pitchers in the frame.

When the third pitcher, Bae Jae-hwan was brought in, he gave up a three-run home run to Lee Dae-ho.

Dinos Battle Back

Through the seventh and eighth, the Dinos scored a series of runs that tied the game up and sent it into extra innings. Bringing the game to within a run again, Kwon Hee-dong hit a home run in the seventh.

Giving the Dinos more to climb back out of, the Giants scored two more runs in the eighth inning. Hits from Son Ah-seop and Jung Hoon both scored runs against Im Chang-min, who pitched the entire inning.

The game got tied up 8-8 in the eighth after two more runs were scored by the Dinos. First was a huge home run from Park Suk-min. Near the end of the inning, a fly ball from Kang Jin-sung took a runner home from third.

Giants Earn Win Late

Lee’s home run in the 11th inning came against Kang Yoon-gu, giving the reliever his first loss of the season through 15 appearances.

Kang Dong-ho, who had already entered the game in the eighth, finished the game for the Giants, giving him a win. The game was only Kang’s third 2020 appearance and his first decision.

The Dinos are scheduled to host two more games against the Giants this week. Wednesday’s game has a start time of 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT).

Around The KBO

A low scoring game saw the Samsung Lions move their one-run lead up to three late, defeating the SK Wyverns 4-1.

Numerous high-scoring innings including a six-run rally in the seventh gave the Kiwoom Heroes a comfortable 11-2 win over the Doosan Bears.

A walk-off home run from Hong Chang-gi gave the LG Twins a 4-3 win over the KT Wiz in the 11th inning.

A game between the Hanhwa Eagles and the hosting Kia Tigers was rained out in Gwangju, South Korea.

Giants Evade Sweep With Four Run Lead Over Lions

The Lotte Giants won a 7-3 game at home over the Samsung Lions on Sunday, evading a loss that would push them farther away from sixth place in the KBO. The win, which came at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea, saw the team have many flurries of runs that gave them a safe lead near the end.

The series was an important one for both teams as they currently sit side-by-side on the KBO rankings. While the Lions won the first two games, a win on Sunday brought the Giants to only half-a-game behind the team.

Giants Get Up By Three Early

Before the Giants started scoring, the Lions got one on the board. The first run came in early, as a hit from Lee Sung-gon drove home a runner to make the game 1-0 Lions.

Scoring kicked off for the Giants in the third, as a hit from Lee Dae-ho scored two runs, including Jeon Jun-woo who dashed around from first base to home.

The scoring continued an inning later as the Giants were able to extend the lead to 4-1. First, a hit from Kim Jae-yoo scored a runner. In the next at-bat, Son Ah-seop batted in another run with a hit.

Starters Handed Decisions

Being given the loss for the game, Lions starter Kim Dae-woo was taken out of the game after four innings.

Giants starter Park Se-woong was pulled after the sixth inning where he gave up a two-run home run to Koo Ja-wook. Allowing three runs and four hits over six innings, Park was given the win for the game.

Final Runs For Giants

Scoring was capped off in the sixth by a rally of hits from the Giants. First, a sacrifice fly from Min Byung-hun brought in a run. After that, Son Ah-seop hit a two-run home run against reliever Im Hyun-joon. This brought the Giants lead to 7-3.

Lions and Giants Remain Close

After finishing their series against each other, the Giants and Lions are still close together on the standings. The sixth-place Lions finish the week with a 24-24 record, as the Giants sit only half-a-game behind with a 22-23 record.

The Lions will have a home stretch through the next week, hosting games against the SK Wyverns and LG Twins.

The Giants will play their first series this season against the NC Dinos on Tuesday. After that, the team will start a three-game series at home versus the SK Wyverns, who they are 2-0 against.

The series could potentially be the first this season for the Giants with a live crowd as the KBO aims to bring fans back on Friday.

Around The KBO

A low scoring game saw a single run from the bat of Kim Hye-sung to give the Kiwoom Heroes a 1-0 win over the Kia Tigers.

In one of the many shutout games on Sunday, the LG Twins got a 4-0 win against the SK Wyverns.

A rough 2020 start for Hanhwa Eagles pitcher Chad Bell continued on Sunday, as his record moved to 0-5 through seven appearances. The starter gave up five runs in the first inning in what would be an 8-4 win for the KT Wiz.

Strong pitching from Drew Rucinski helped the NC Dinos get a 4-0 win over the Doosan Bears. The top-ranked KBO team won the series 2-1 over the second-place Bears this week.

Giants Avoid Shutout, Losing By Five Runs To The Lions

The Samsung Lions accumulated six runs for what ended to be a 6-1 victory over the hosting Lotte Giants on Saturday. The game which happened at the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea saw the Giants avoid a shutout in the very last inning.

The win is the second straight for the Lions, who won an extra-innings outing over the Giants on Friday 6-4.

Lee Earns Two RBIs

The Lions got ahead early off of two different plays lead by Lee Sung-gon.

Lee started the second inning with a solo home run to left-center. The home run was his first of the year. An inning later, Lee drove home Park Hae-min to make the game 2-0. The play moved Lee’s number of RBIs in 2020 to double digits (10).

Sampson Out After Five

The Lions strung together a rally in the sixth that took Giants starter Adrian Sampson out of the game. The pitcher was pulled after a hit from Kim Dong-yeop drove a runner home.

Sampson was given the loss for the game after allowing eight hits and four runs. Sampson’s record moved to 2-4, as he’s been one of the pitchers for the Busan team that’s had trouble early in the season. He currently has a 6.16 ERA, the highest among the starting rotation.

Scoring Continues Against Relievers

Two more pitchers played in the sixth inning before the Giants could wrap it up. First it was Lee In-bok who allowed two hits. Park Shi-young closed out the inning facing two batters. The first of the two was Kim Ji-chan, who scored a runner through a sacrifice bunt.

Furthering their then-shutout lead, the Lions put two more runs on the board in the eighth inning. First, a hit from Kim Heon-gon scored a run. The next batter, Kang Min-ho, drove home another to make the game 6-0. The runs came against Park Myeong-hyeon, who’s ERA inflated to a 27.00 after since it was only his second KBO game.

Lions Pitching Holds Giants Until Late

While the Giants lost by a wide margin, the team avoided a shutout in the ninth inning after a hit from Dixon Machado drove home Jeon Jun-woo. The run came against Jang Ji-hoon, who finished the game for the Lions.

Apart from the singular run allowed late, it was a very successful evening on the mound for the Lions. Starter Baek Jung-hyun got his third win of the year after six innings, evening his 2020 record to 3-3. The starter earned six strikeouts and only allowed three hits.

Innings seven and eight were handled by Kim Yoon-soo and Noh Sung-ho. Only one run was allowed, coming against Kim in the seventh.

Lions Look For Sweep To End Week

The Giants are scheduled to host one more home game this week against the Lions with first pitch happening Sunday at 5:00PM KST (4:00AM EDT). The game, like the two before, could widen the gap between the sixth-place 24-23 Lions and the seventh-place 21-23 Giants.

Around The KBO

A game that only lasted two hours and 22 minutes saw the Kiwoom Heroes get a 2-0 victory over the Kia Tigers. Heroes starter Eric Jokisch had a strong outing, allowing only one hit through eight innings.

Pitcher Jung Chan-heon went all nine innings for the LG Twins, helping the team get a 3-0 win against the SK Wyverns.

A tied 3-3 game went quickly out of reach in the ninth for the NC Dinos, as the hosting Doosan Bears scored nine runs to win 12-3. The series between the two top KBO teams is now tied 1-1.

The KT Wiz had good batting throughout their nine-inning game against the Hanhwa Eagles. The Wiz bounced back from their previous loss with a 7-2 win.

Extra Innings Stops Giants Comeback Against Lions

The Samsung Lions picked up an extra-innings win on Friday, defeating the hosting Lotte Giants 6-4. The win, which came at the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea saw both starters play into deep innings.

Lions Start, But Giants Follow

No runs came early as the starting pitchers were able to keep hits to a minimum for half of the game.

The Lions started the scoring in the sixth with a solo home run from Lee Sung-gon. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly from Koo Ja-wook brought a runner home to make the game 2-0.

The Giants answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from Jeon Jun-woo.

Starting pitcher for the Lions Won Tae-in was taken out in the seventh after allowing five hits and one run in his outing.

The lead for the Lions got extended in the eighth after a hit from Lee Hak-ju made the game 4-1. Giants starter Dan Straily was taken out after this play. Straily, who has went deep into games many times this season now allowed eight hits and four runs in his appearance while attaining three strikeouts.

Also in the eighth inning there was an injury at second base as Lions player Lee Won-seok collided with An Chi-hong. Lee was helped off the field and replaced by Kim Sang-su. An was able to continue and eventually finish the game.

The Giants were able to tie the game up in the bottom of the eighth. First, a ground ball brought home a run. In the next play a hit from Lee Dae-ho drove Son home. The runs came against Choi Ji-gwang, who was taken out of play after for Woo Kyu-min.

With Woo in the game, the tying run came off the bat to pinch hitter Kim Jae-yoo, who took Kim Dong-han around from second.

Lions Win The Game

The Lions took the lead for good in the 10th against reliever Park Jin-hyung. Hits from Kim Sang-su and Kim Dong-yeop drove home runners and made the final score 6-4. The loss went to Park, his second over 22 appearances this season.

A good 10th inning pitching performance from Oh Seung-hwan gave the Lion his third save of the year.

Lions reliever Woo who appeared in the eighth was given the win for the game.

The Giants came into Friday after their longest layoff this season as their Wednesday and Thursday games were rained out.

Lions Ahead In Rankings, But Not By Much

The win put the Lions sixth in the KBO with a record of 23-23. This puts them half-a-game ahead of the 21-22 Giants.

The Lions, who are two-and-a-half games behind the fifth-ranked LG Twins, have a chance to extend their lead over the Giants as the series continues in the next two days. On the flip side, the Giants have room to take sixth place back as well.

First pitch for Saturday’s game is set for 5:00AM KST (4:00AM EDT).

Around The KBO

Strong pitching from the SK Wyverns, including a six-inning hitless performance from Lee Geon-wook, helped give the team a shutout 6-0 win over the LG Twins.

A big fifth inning sealed a win for the Hanhwa Eagles on Friday, winning against the KT Wiz 7-4.

A heavy-hitting game went in favour of the Kia Tigers on Friday, who defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 8-6.

In what is undeniably the most important series of the week, the NC Dinos kicked off their first of three games against the Doosan Bears on Friday. The first game went to the Dinos, who picked up a 9-3 which included a late ninth-inning rally that tacked five onto their lead.

Rain Stops Play Between Tigers and Giants For Second Day

Rain stopped play between the Lotte Giants and Kia Tigers for the second straight day on Thursday. Having their doubleheader rained out, the teams will go their separate ways for a new three-game series on Friday.

While most games got rained out on Wednesday, the game from the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea was the only to be affected by the weather on Thursday.

The Giants and Tigers only got to play one game in their three-game series this week, with that matchup being a 4-3 win for the Giants.

The weekend series for the Giants sees them host a three-game series against the Samsung Lions. The Lions are currently tied for sixth in the KBO with a 22-22 record.

The Tigers will now travel to Seoul, Korea to play at the Gocheok Sky Dome in a three-game series against the Kiwoom Heroes. The Heroes are sitting third in the KBO currently, with the second and fourth teams both within half-a-game.

Around The KBO

Wednesday’s Games (First of Double Header on Thursday)

The only game that didn’t get rained out on Wednesday saw the Samsung Lions pick up a 9-2 victory over the Hanhwa Eagles. The Lions had a quick start, scoring eight runs over the first three innings over starter David Buchanan.

A three-run home run from Kim Hae-seong gave the Kiwoom Heroes the lead early, which went on to be a 5-2 victory over the LG Twins on Thursday afternoon.

Consistently scoring early in the game, the Doosan Bears had a safe 14-6 win to start their Thursday games against the SK Wyverns. In the second inning of the game, Wyverns manager Youm Kyoung-youb collapsed in the dugout. Reported by Yonhap News, Youm was transported to a hospital and has since become conscious yet again.

A two-run shot from Na Sung-bum in the first inning helped give the NC Dinos a 3-1 win against the KT Wiz on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday’s Games

Avoiding a sweep, the Hanhwa Eagles got a 9-2 win against the Samsung Lions on Thursday evening.

Following a low-scoring afternoon game, the KT Wiz had a hitting party, defeating the NC Dinos 19-6. The game included an eighth inning where the Wiz scored 10 innings.

The perfect combination of hot bats and strong pitching gave the SK Wyverns a shutout win over the Doosan Bears on Thursday evening with a final score of 7-0.

Coming back from trailing five runs, the Kiwoom Heroes battled back for a 8-5 win in the late innings to win over the LG Twins.

Kim Joon-tae Finishes Comeback Win For Giants Over Tigers

A walk-off hit from Kim Joon-tae gave the Lotte Giants a 4-3 victory on Tuesday over the Kia Tigers. The game saw the Giants come back from a three-run deficit that the Tigers earned early. The win kicked off the home series for the Giants at the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea.

A long and consistent performance from Tigers starter Aaron brooks made the only chance for the Giants to score come late in the game. The starter held the team off for seven innings, allowing only one hit in his appearance.

Tigers Get Ahead By Three

The game went scoreless for its first three innings, but that ended after Choi Hyung-woo hit a two-run home run to put the Tigers up 2-0 in the fourth. A third run was notched on in the sixth after a hit from Choi Hyung-woo scored a runner.

Giants starter Seo Jun-won was pulled in the sixth after earning one strikeout and allowing five hits. This was his second game this year against the Tigers, a better performance than his disastrous four-inning game in May where he gave up seven runs.

Walk-Off Gives Win To Giants

The first run for the Giants came in the eighth, as Kim Joon-tae was driven home by Son Ah-seop. The play came against the first of two relievers to play in the game for the Tigers, Jeon Sang-hyun.

Kicking off the scoring rally in the ninth inning, Dixon Machado batted home a run against Moon Kyung-chan to make the game 3-2. Kim Joon-tae scored the two final runs, ending the game. Reliever Moon was given the loss for the game, his first of the season after getting 10 saves over 17 appearances before.

Giants Trail Fifth-Place Tigers By Two Games

The Giants have struggled previously against the Tigers, being swept in their two meetings before to equal a 0-6 record.

This series is an interesting one for both teams due to their currently neighbouring KBO rankings of sixth and fifth place. The win on Tuesday brought the Giants to two games behind the fifth-ranked Tigers.

The Giants will host the Tigers for two more games at home this week. First pitch for Wednesday’s game is at 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT), although early forecasts predict rain will affect the game.

Around The KBO

In a battle of two of the league’s top pitchers, Drew Rucinski and the NC Dinos prevailed over Odrisaimer Despaigne and the KT Wiz with a score of 4-3.

Rookie pitcher Kim Yun-sik had a rough outing, giving up five runs to the Kiwoom Heroes who defeated the LG Twins 8-3.

A one-sided victory went in the way of the Doosan Bears, who defeated the SK Wyverns 9-2. A big week is ahead for the Bears as they face the first-place Dinos starting Friday.

A high-scoring game went to the Samsung Lions who defeated the Hanhwa Eagles 11-4. The Heroes made a mid-season roster change on Monday, signing former MLB player Brandon Barnes. The outfielder will take the foreign spot on the team from Jared Hoying, who was placed on waivers.

Kang Baek-ho Leads Wiz To Win Over Giants

After two separate home runs from Kang Baek-ho, the KT Wiz got a 3-2 win over the Lotte Giants on Sunday. The win was the second in the series for the Wiz at the Suwon KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Korea.

Kang, a first baseman for the team is one of the hotter bats in the squad, sitting currently with 10 home runs in the season. He trails Mel Rojas Jr. in the statistic, as the team leader has 13 home runs so far.

Kang’s first home run came in the first inning, driving home Rojas Jr. as well. A solo shot in the sixth from Kang gave the team their three-run lead.

The home runs were against Noh Kyung-eun, who lasted six innings before the Giants pulled him. Given the loss for the game, Noh has a 3-3 record in the 2020 season.

The game was delayed for a short period of time in the second inning after the home plate umpire Park Keun-young was hit in the hand with a tipped ball. The game resumed after 10 minutes or so.

Cuevas Events Record Versus Giants

Starting for the Wiz was William Cuevas, who lasted seven innings. He was given the win, taking his record to 2-2 over six appearances. He also evened his record against the Giants this season to 1-1.

Closing the game was Kim Jae-yoon, who got his fifth save this season. Kim had some trouble in the inning, facing seven batters in total. A hit from Son Ah-seop was able to drive home two runs, making the game a closer 3-2 near the end.

Wiz Wins Their First Series Over Giants

Having won their Sunday game, the Wiz prevailed 2-1 in their series against the Giants. The trio of games saw the first two times this season that the Wiz have beat the Busan team.

The sixth-place Giants will start their eighth week of play on Tuesday, kicking off with a three-game series against the Kia Tigers, a team they have went 0-6 against this year. They’ll stay at home for the rest of the week, hosting the Samsung Lions for a series on Friday, who they’ve went 1-2 against.

The Wiz have an interesting week ahead, playing the highest and lowest ranked teams in the league. It starts with a series against the first-place NC Dinos, who swept them in their first series. They’ll play the Hanhwa Eagles after, who they went 2-1 against in their first meeting.

The first pitch for Tuesday’s games starts at 6:30PM KST (5:30AM EDT).

Around The KBO

The Kiwoom Heroes got a 7-2 victory over the SK Wyverns on Sunday, sweeping the series. Big news about the Heroes broke this week, as it was reported former MLB player Addison Russell signed with the team. The player brings with him controversy, as he was given a 40-game suspension through the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to domestic violence allegations.

After losing the two games before, the Samsung Lions got a decisive 12-5 win over the Kia Tigers on Sunday. The Tigers lead the first three innings off of one run.

While the Hanhwa Eagles had a strong late run earning six runs in the final third of the game, the NC Dinos were able to hang on for a 9-7 win.

In a game that saw starter Raul Alcantara go eight innings on the mound, the Doosan Bears picked up a 3-1 win over the LG Twins.

Giants Bounce Back From Loss, Shutting Out Wiz

Coming back from a loss from Friday, the Lotte Giants got a shutout 8-0 win over the KT Wiz on Saturday. The game saw hot bats late in the game for the Busan squad as well as one of the best performances yet from starter Adrian Sampson.

The win came at the Suwon KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Korea, the home of the Wiz.

Giants Earn Eight

The Giants got ahead by two in the first inning. First, a hit from Son Ah-seop into left-center bought Jeon Jun-woo enough time to get home from first base. Dixon Machado drove home Son later in the inning to make the game 2-0.

After many scoreless innings, the Giants resumed with scoring in the seventh. Banging a ball against the left-center outfield wall, catcher Jung Hoon took home a third run for the team. The play had to be reviewed, as at a glance it was hard to tell if the hit was a home run or not.

Min Byung-hun picked up an RBI too, scoring a run off of a hit to the outfield.

After giving up a few runs, reliever Lee Bo-geun was replaced by Lee Sang-dong.

Lee’s pitching stint started on a bad note, as a hit to the outfield from Machado scored two runs. The final run of the inning came from Kim Joon-tae, who took home Machado with a hit.

Lee played until the end of the game, giving up one more run in the ninth inning to Kim Dong-han.

Starters Given Decisions

Wiz starter So Hyeong-jun was taken out of play after five innings. Being given the loss for the game, So allowed two runs and five hits, getting five strikeouts as well. The decision moved So’s 2020 record to 4-4.

Getting his second win of the year, Giants starting pitcher Adrian Sampson went six innings. Putting up seven strikeouts, Sampson allowed only three hits. In his fifth start, the game was Sampson’s first game where he did not give up a run.

Rubbermatch Set For Sunday

The series is now tied up with a final game set to be played on Sunday. Last Friday, the Wiz earned their first win this season over the Giants after losing six games previously. First pitch for Sunday’s game is at 5:00PM KST (4:00AM EDT).

Around The KBO

In a grand upset, the last place Hanhwa Eagles won a 4-3 game over the first place NC Dinos. The game saw the Eagles score four runs first, holding off the Dinos for the remaining innings.

Tied after five innings, the Kiwoom Heroes were able to earn six more runs to get a 9-3 victory over the SK Wyverns.

Getting their second-straight win over the LG Twins with a big lead, the Doosan Bears got a victory on Saturday 8-2.

A second inning rally which included a grand slam from Yoo Min-sang gave the Kia Tigers a 6-3 win against the Samsung Lions.