'The best KBO of all time' has virtually achieved a semi-wild card decision!
Doosan Bears and KIA Tigers, who are fiercely competing for rankings, won side by side. And now, the two teams face off against each other on the single tree bridge. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a de facto semi-wild card deciding match.
The Doosan Bears won 11-1 in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against NC Dinos held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 12th.
With the win on this day, 5th place Doosan succeeded in escaping two consecutive losses, recording a season record of 72 wins, 65 losses, and 2 draws, narrowing the gap with 4th place NC from 1.5 games to 0.5 games. In addition, they succeeded in narrowing the gap with SSG Landers, who did not have a game, to one game.
On the other hand, NC failed to win three games in a row and fell to fourth place with 73 wins, 65 losses, and 2 draws. Ahead of this day's game, NC coach Kang In-kwon said, "Every game from now on is important. I think today's game and the game against LG on the 13th are especially important. I don't think we will know what the ranking battle will be until the end of the season. We will do our best." He expressed his determination. However, NC lost the game on the 12th to Doosan, putting pressure on them for the remaining games.
Doosan defeated NC by hitting home runs every time it was crucial. In the bottom of the first inning when the team was down 0-1, Jose Rojas hit a solo shot to tie the game. Then, in the bottom of the second inning, Kim Jae-ho's timely hit led to a comeback, and then a big inning in the bottom of the third inning. After Yang Seok-hwan scored an additional point with a timely hit on first and second bases with no outs, Yang Eui-ji hit a three-run gun to make it 6-1.
Doosan's fire bat did not stop. Before the game that day, Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop emphatically said, “We can win only when the bat explodes,” and in the end, the head coach’s order worked. In the bottom of the 4th inning, Heo Gyeong-min hit a solo shot and Rojas and Yang Seok-hwan hit consecutive timely hits, scoring 3 runs, effectively putting a wedge in the game. On the mound, starter Jang Won-jun pitched only 2⅔ innings, but Lee Young-ha, who came on as the second pitcher, pitched three scoreless innings, laying the foundation for the team's victory. Lee Byung-hun, Choi Ji-gang, Park Chi-guk, and Hong Geon-hee came out one after another to protect the team's victory.
3rd place SSG Landers, 4th place NC Dinos, and 5th place Doosan Bears are closely spaced with a 0.5 game gap between them. A situation where the rankings can change in just one day. Still, the reason why 5th place Doosan is feeling more pressure is because of the 6th place KIA Tigers' pursuit.
On the same day, KIA won 6-5 against the Lotte Giants, continuing to keep the fire going for fall baseball alive. KIA's starting pitcher Mario Sanchez went down early, allowing 4 runs in 3⅔ innings, but the batting line exploded and they were able to secure the victory. In the 3rd inning, when the team was down 0-3, Lee Woo-seong hit a timely hit with 2 RBI, and in the 4th inning when the team was down 2-4, Ko Jong-wook hit a walk, RBI, and Socrates Brito hit 2 RBI and timely hit to turn the game around.
KIA allowed Lotte to tie the game in the 6th inning, but Lee Woo-sung hit a timely hit in the 7th inning with one out and two on second base to take the lead again. The bullpen also contributed decisively to the team's victory. In the 8th inning, with one out and bases loaded, Jeon Sang-hyun struck out pinch hitters Lee Jeong-hoon and Han Dong-hee. In the 9th inning, Haeyoung Jeong struck out Seungwook Park with bases loaded and 2 outs