Samsung 8, Doosan 7
W - Ahn Ji-man, L - Kim Chang-hoon, S - Bae Yeong-su
Samsung HR - None Doosan HR - None
The series is tied, 2-2
Another four hour epic. This series is really taking years off my life. I haven't felt like this since the White Sox run in 2005. I watched the Chicago Blackhawks run last summer, but I never really felt anxious. It was more of a quiet confidence/inevitability with them. The White Sox run came with some serious baggage and a few really intense ballgames. The Lions don't have the same baggage, but I find these games almost equally as tense. Also, the White Sox had a few relievers capable of throwing a strike. I'm not so sure about the Lions.
The scoring in this game started in the third inning. Doosan starter Hong Sang-sam appeared to forget where he was for most of the inning. He misplayed not one, but two bunts that lead to Samsung runs. With runners on first and second with no outs, shortstop Kim Sang-su put a bunt down the third baseline. Hong fielded it cleanly and simply threw the ball into left field. Both Samsung runners scored on the play and Kim advanced to second. Third baseman Cho Dong-chan put down another bunt. This time, Hong simply refused to touch it. Instead of picking the ball up, he stared at the third baseman until all the runners were safe. Right fielder Park Han-yi hit a fly ball to the wall for a sacrifice. Park's big fly gave Samsung a 3-0 lead. The Lions picked up another run on an RBI double from left fielder Choi Hyeong-woo to push the lead to 4-0.
Doosan put a few runs up in the bottom of the third to get themselves back into the game. Center fielder Lee Jong-wook lead off the inning with a double and scored on another double from DH Kim Dong-ju. Kim advanced to third on a single from first baseman Choi Joon-seok and scored when Son Si-heon grounded into a double play.
It appeared that Doosan forgot how to play professional baseball in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Park Han-yi singled to right. Choi Hyeong-woo hit a grounder to second and Park was forced out at second. Doosan called on starting pitcher Kim Sun-woo to end the inning for some reason and Kim didn't have much. He gave up a single to DH Park Seok-min to put runners on first and second with two outs. First baseman Cho Yeong-hoon hit a grounder down the first base line that Choi Joon-seok came up with. Cho appeared to tie Choi to the base and was called safe. I felt that Cho was out when I saw the replay, but I've seen Doosan get a few close calls during this series. It was time for the Lions to get one. Doosan argued, but their protests fell on deaf ears. Kim Sun-woo struck out Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong, but Doosan catcher Yang Eui-ji allowed the ball to pass through his legs and roll to the screen. It was the infamous dropped third strike. All runners were safe and Samsung held a 5-2 lead. Samsung added another run when Kim uncorked a wild pitch to second baseman Shin Myeong-cheol. Shin drew a walk to load the bases. Center fielder Lee Yeong-wook singled to left to push the lead to 7-2.
Samsung was able to throw a runner out at the plate and get out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning, but the Bears made the Lions pay in the seventh. With two outs, Lee Jong-wook singled and advanced to third on a Kim Dong-ju single. Choi Joon-seok poked a base hit through the middle to score Lee and cut the lead to 7-3. Right fielder Lim Jae-cheol walked to load the bases. Doosan brought in embattled superstar Kim Hyeon-su to pinch hit. He juuuust missed a grand slam and had to settle for a long two-run single. So much for his slump. Yang Eui-ji poked a bouncer through the middle to cut the lead to 7-6. Outfielder Jeong Su-bin capped the rally by ripping a liner to left to tie the game and sent me to the fridge to find a beer.
The Lions answered right back in the top of the eighth. Samsung put runners on second and third with one out. Hero of the week, Park Han-yi, hit a screamer to left that Kim Hyeon-su struggled to find. I honestly thought it was headed for extra bases. Kim stuck his glove out and managed to snowcone the baseball and hang on to it for the out. The runner on third was able to tag and score, but I could not believe that Kim found that baseball.
Samsung's Bae Yeong-su was called on to record the final four outs. Bae got reliever Ahn Ji-man out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth and recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
The series will end in Daegu on Wednesday. Doosan will send Kelvin Jimenez to the mound against Samsung's Cha Woo-chan. The game will start at 6 PM Daegu time. If this series were a 7-gamer, I think it would likely kill me. All four of these games have been decided by a TOTAL of four runs. I can't remember watching a series that close before.
W - Ahn Ji-man, L - Kim Chang-hoon, S - Bae Yeong-su
Samsung HR - None Doosan HR - None
The series is tied, 2-2
Another four hour epic. This series is really taking years off my life. I haven't felt like this since the White Sox run in 2005. I watched the Chicago Blackhawks run last summer, but I never really felt anxious. It was more of a quiet confidence/inevitability with them. The White Sox run came with some serious baggage and a few really intense ballgames. The Lions don't have the same baggage, but I find these games almost equally as tense. Also, the White Sox had a few relievers capable of throwing a strike. I'm not so sure about the Lions.
The scoring in this game started in the third inning. Doosan starter Hong Sang-sam appeared to forget where he was for most of the inning. He misplayed not one, but two bunts that lead to Samsung runs. With runners on first and second with no outs, shortstop Kim Sang-su put a bunt down the third baseline. Hong fielded it cleanly and simply threw the ball into left field. Both Samsung runners scored on the play and Kim advanced to second. Third baseman Cho Dong-chan put down another bunt. This time, Hong simply refused to touch it. Instead of picking the ball up, he stared at the third baseman until all the runners were safe. Right fielder Park Han-yi hit a fly ball to the wall for a sacrifice. Park's big fly gave Samsung a 3-0 lead. The Lions picked up another run on an RBI double from left fielder Choi Hyeong-woo to push the lead to 4-0.
Doosan put a few runs up in the bottom of the third to get themselves back into the game. Center fielder Lee Jong-wook lead off the inning with a double and scored on another double from DH Kim Dong-ju. Kim advanced to third on a single from first baseman Choi Joon-seok and scored when Son Si-heon grounded into a double play.
It appeared that Doosan forgot how to play professional baseball in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Park Han-yi singled to right. Choi Hyeong-woo hit a grounder to second and Park was forced out at second. Doosan called on starting pitcher Kim Sun-woo to end the inning for some reason and Kim didn't have much. He gave up a single to DH Park Seok-min to put runners on first and second with two outs. First baseman Cho Yeong-hoon hit a grounder down the first base line that Choi Joon-seok came up with. Cho appeared to tie Choi to the base and was called safe. I felt that Cho was out when I saw the replay, but I've seen Doosan get a few close calls during this series. It was time for the Lions to get one. Doosan argued, but their protests fell on deaf ears. Kim Sun-woo struck out Samsung catcher Jin Kab-yong, but Doosan catcher Yang Eui-ji allowed the ball to pass through his legs and roll to the screen. It was the infamous dropped third strike. All runners were safe and Samsung held a 5-2 lead. Samsung added another run when Kim uncorked a wild pitch to second baseman Shin Myeong-cheol. Shin drew a walk to load the bases. Center fielder Lee Yeong-wook singled to left to push the lead to 7-2.
Samsung was able to throw a runner out at the plate and get out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning, but the Bears made the Lions pay in the seventh. With two outs, Lee Jong-wook singled and advanced to third on a Kim Dong-ju single. Choi Joon-seok poked a base hit through the middle to score Lee and cut the lead to 7-3. Right fielder Lim Jae-cheol walked to load the bases. Doosan brought in embattled superstar Kim Hyeon-su to pinch hit. He juuuust missed a grand slam and had to settle for a long two-run single. So much for his slump. Yang Eui-ji poked a bouncer through the middle to cut the lead to 7-6. Outfielder Jeong Su-bin capped the rally by ripping a liner to left to tie the game and sent me to the fridge to find a beer.
The Lions answered right back in the top of the eighth. Samsung put runners on second and third with one out. Hero of the week, Park Han-yi, hit a screamer to left that Kim Hyeon-su struggled to find. I honestly thought it was headed for extra bases. Kim stuck his glove out and managed to snowcone the baseball and hang on to it for the out. The runner on third was able to tag and score, but I could not believe that Kim found that baseball.
Samsung's Bae Yeong-su was called on to record the final four outs. Bae got reliever Ahn Ji-man out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth and recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
The series will end in Daegu on Wednesday. Doosan will send Kelvin Jimenez to the mound against Samsung's Cha Woo-chan. The game will start at 6 PM Daegu time. If this series were a 7-gamer, I think it would likely kill me. All four of these games have been decided by a TOTAL of four runs. I can't remember watching a series that close before.
2 comments:
This has been an epic series! I've enjoyed the games (I actually went to this one last night) and I appreciate your write-ups!
Keep up the great work, guys!
http://news.naver.com/sports/index.nhn?category=kbo&ctg=video_player&date=20101011&type=schedule_by_date&id=47024
^^^^^^^^ Naver Sports highlights up here, pretty instense series.. Game 5 10/13 7AM EST
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