Korean Series tied at 2-2 as Landers, Heroes head back to Incheon

Kiwoom Heroes players celebrate at the end of Game 4 of the 2022 Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Saturday. [YONHAP]

The Kiwoom Heroes beat the SSG Landers 6-3 on Saturday to round off their home stand with the Korean Series tied at two games apiece.

The Heroes capitalized on a huge five-run third inning to build an insurmountable lead over the Landers, who had briefly pulled in front with a single run at the top of the first.

The win ties the series up at 2-2 once again, after the Landers started the Seoul led of the series with a big 8-2 win on Friday.

The Landers broke through at the top of the first at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Saturday with Choo Shin-soo coming home on a Choi Jeong single to the left field.

The Heroes erased that lead in the second when some sluggish defense allowed Shin Jun-woo to bunt in the tying run.

The home side came alive in the third, with Jeon Byeong-woo leading off the inning with a double and then coming around to score on a single from Lee Jung-hoo. Lee Ji-young added another single, before Song Sung-mun hammered a two-run double into center field.

The Landers pulled starter Shawn Morimando, but the damage was already well and truly done. Shin Jun-woo batted in number six to round off the inning, giving the Heroes a 6-1 lead.

The Landers tried to chip away at the deficit but loaded the bases to no avail in the sixth. Choi batted in two off a single in the seventh, taking the score to 6-3, but despite loading the bases again in the eighth and ninth innings the Landers were unable to do any more damage.

With the win the Heroes erased the series lead the Landers had taken on Friday, when they came from behind to win 8-2 with all eight runs scored in the final two innings.

Trailing 1-0 since the fourth innings, the Landers finally broke through when Juan Lagares smoked a two-run homer over the wall to take the lead at the top of the eighth. The lineup piled on in the ninth, adding six more runs for a decisive 8-2 win.

Saturday’s game concludes the Seoul leg of the Korea Series, with the two teams now headed back to Incheon to resume play on Monday.

The Landers, as the pennant-winning side, have the home advantage throughout the series, with games No. 1, 2, 5, 6 and, if needed, 7 all played at the clubs Incheon SSG Landers Field.

In the first Incheon stand, the Heroes won a tight Game 1 7-6, only for the Landers to come back with a 6-1 win in Game 2.

There will be no more rest days for the remainder of the series, with Game 5 on Monday, Game 6 on Tuesday and, if needed, Game 7 on Wednesday.

With the series score tied at 2-2 it’s still anybody’s game.

The Landers, the first team in KBO history to take a wire-to-wire pennant win, walked away from the regular season with a huge edge over the Heroes, beating them in 11 of their 16 games and losing five times.

The Heroes entered the Korean Series after playing through the first and second rounds of playoffs against the KT Wiz and LG Twins. That meant the Landers were better rested, but the Heroes were warmed up.

Allowing the Landers time to warm could be dangerous, Heroes manager Hong Won-ki said last week.

"I feel like the longer the series goes, the harder it will be for us to win," Hong was quoted as saying on Wednesday by Yonhap.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]