5/28 Roundup and News

Lotte 9, KIA 0
W - Goh Won-joon (2-2), L - Yoon Seok-min (5-2)
Lotte HR - Jeon Joon-woo (2), Lee Dae-ho (12), Kang Min-ho (5) KIA HR - None

Lotte starter Goh Won-joon really stepped up on Saturday. Goh threw a complete game shutout(113 pitches, 65 strikes). Goh allowed four hits and five walks while striking out one. Goh recorded fifteen fly ball outs. He appeared to have excellent movement and kept the KIA offense off balance for most of the game. He walked five, so sometimes his stuff was moving a little too much.

KIA ace Yoon Seok-min was fairly mediocre. Yoon's name had been mentioned as an early favorite for MVP this year before Saturday. Yoon lasted 5 2/3 innings(106 pitches, 59 strikes) and gave up four runs. Yoon allowed 10 hits and five walks while striking out four.

Lotte center fielder Jeon Joon-woo lead off the game with a solo homer and things snowballed on KIA from there. First baseman Lee Dae-ho went 3-3 with two walks, a homer, two RBIs and one run scored. Catcher Kang Min-ho dotted the exclamation point that was this nine run outburst with a three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Samsung 3, SK 2
W - Yoon Seong-hwan (3-3), L - Goh Hyo-joon (0-3), S - Oh Seung-hwan (14)
Samsung HR - None SK HR - Jeong Sang-ho (4), Park Jin-man (2)

Samsung started the scoring with an RBI ground out in the first inning from third baseman Park Seok-min.

SK answered back in the top of the second with a pair of solo homers from catcher Jeong Sang-ho and shortstop Park Jin-man.

The game remained knotted at 2-1 until the sixth inning. With runners on first and second with two outs, DH Ryan Garko singled to tie the game at two. The next batter, catcher Jin Kab-yong, singled to center to give Samsung a 3-2 lead.

The Samsung bullpen locked the game down after starter Jang Won-sam left after five innings. Closer Oh Seung-hwan walked a batter, but struck out the side in the ninth for the save.

Hanhwa 6, Doosan 0
W - Yang Hoon (1-4), L - Lee Yong-chan (1-3)
Hanhwa HR - Choi Jin-haeng (10) Doosan HR - None

Yang Hoon was determined to get his first W of the season on Saturday. Yang threw a complete game shutout(129 pitches, 83 strikes). I guess he really didn't want to see the Hanhwa bullpen turn this one into an adventure. Yang allowed four hits and four walks while striking out six. Yang recorded 15 fly ball outs.

Hanhwa slugger Choi Jin-haeng started the scoring with a solo homer in the second and finished 2-4 with two runs scored.

Hanhwa extended the lead with a two-run single from DH Jang Seong-ho in the third and piled on with a three-run rally in the eighth inning.

LG 4, Nexen 3 (10)
W - Lim Chan-gyu (5-1), L - Oh Jae-yeong (1-1)
LG HR - None Nexen HR - Kang Gui-tae (1)

LG starter Shim Chang-su deserved better for his efforts. Shim threw six shutout innings(82 pitches, 56 strikes) only to watch the bullpen blow the game. The only difference was that the Nexen bullpen was even worse than the LG bullpen. Shim allowed five hits and struck out three.

LG broke a scoreless tie in the top of the seventh with an RBI squeeze bunt from left fielder Jeong Eui-yoon. The Twins added another run in the eight on a RBI ground out from right fielder Lee Byeong-gyu.

Nexen scored their first run in the bottom of the eight after an infield single from third baseman Kim Min-woo, a double from DH Cho Jung-geun and...a RBI ground out from center fielder Yoon Han-joon.

LG picked up a little more insurance in the top of the ninth with a RBI single from center fielder Yang Yeong-dong, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the ninth. Nexen right fielder started the inning with a double. Nexen tied the game on a two-run homer from catcher Kang Gui-tae to send the game into extras.

LG pushed across a run in the top of the tenth on an RBI single from first baseman Lee Taek-geun. Somehow, LG reliever Lim Chan-gyu managed to record a quiet tenth inning for the W.

Lost in this one was a solid effort from Nexen starter Brandon Knight. Knight tossed 8 1/3 innings(123 pitches, 66 strikes), but gave up three runs. Knight allowed four hits and five walks while striking out five.