Solid win by Samsung adds to Kia’s problems

Ace pitchers in Korea’s pro baseball league chased each other for top speeds in Sunday’s matches.
Samsung Lions pitcher Bae Young-su and Kia Tigers Kim Jin-u both delivered 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour while Lotte Giants’ Lee Yong-hun and LG Twins’ Jin Pil-joong also had good outings, though not as fast.
In Daegu, where the temperature was over 26.1 degrees Celsius, Bae easily won over Kim. In the sold-out game, Bae allowed only three hits and one run over eight innings, taking the credit for the home team’s 5-1 victory. Samsung has had five straight wins including three consecutive wins against Kia.
Bae’s earned run average stands at 1.77 with three wins and no losses. Kia has lost its last five games and is in bottom place in the league.
Samsung’s Yang Joon-hyuk hit a homer that went over the right-middle fence in the first inning with two outs. In the fourth inning, Shim Jung-soo got to third base and was followed by Park Han-yi who was walked after four balls.
In the fifth inning, Samsung scored another run and added two more in the eighth with three hits and one walk.
Lotte lost to LG, ending its six-game winning streak on Saturday, but Mr. Lee led Lotte to revenge the next day with a 5-0 victory. For seven and one-third innings, Mr. Lee recorded seven strikeouts, allowing five hits with no runs. He now has the most strikeouts during the season at 41 ahead of Mr. Bae’s 39. Lotte’s No Jang-jin was credited with saving the game, his ninth.
The Doosan Bears beat SK Wyverns 4-2 with a one-run homer by Moon Hee-sung and three-runs brought in by Ahn Kyung-hyun.
The Hanwha Eagles won over the Hyundai Unicorns 8-2, ending a four-game losing streak. Hyundai’s Lee Sung-yong hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning.

by Sung Baik-you, Limb Jae-un