유지호
| 2020-11-21 00:25:22
(LEAD) Korean Series-Game 3
(LEAD) Bears squeeze past Dinos 7-6 to take Korean Series lead
(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 7, 24-25)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jae-ho drove in three runs and broke a tie with a single in the seventh, helping the Doosan Bears past the NC Dinos 7-6 on Friday and putting his team ahead in the South Korean baseball championship round.
The Bears now lead the best-of-seven Korean Series 2-1. Game 4 is 2 p.m. Saturday, back at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The Dinos and the Bears had split the first two games of the series before Friday. There have been 15 other occasions in Korean Series history when contestants were knotted at 1-1 after two games, and Game 3 winners have gone on to win the title 14 times.
Kim, a light-hitting shortstop, played the offensive hero for the second straight game. He had a home run and two RBIs in Wednesday's 5-4 victory. He batted 2-for-2 with three RBIs, two walks and a run scored Friday.
In a game in which neither starter got out of the third inning, Doosan reliever Kim Kang-ryul shined with 2 2/3 shutout innings. After the Dinos took a 6-5 lead in the fourth, Kim entered the game and retired the first seven batters he faced. He struck out three and allowed only one single.
Park Chi-guk was credited with the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
"This was a tough game to win," Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyoung said. "It takes pressure off our team going into the next game."
There were four lead changes through the first four innings of this seesaw game.
Na Sung-bum gave the Dinos a 1-0 lead with a solo home run off starter Choi Won-joon in the top of the first. It was Na's sixth career postseason home run and first in the Korean Series.
The Bears responded with a solo shot of their own, delivered by Jose Miguel Fernandez off starter Mike Wright in the bottom second.
The Bears added another run in the same inning. Wright gave up a walk and a double immediately after Fernandez's blast, and Park Kun-woo cashed in a run with a groundout.
But the Dinos fought back to reclaim the lead in the top of the third. They had two straight bloop singles to start the rally. After a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third, Na made it 2-2 with a sacrifice fly to right field.
With Yang Eui-ji at the plate, Park Min-woo sprinted home from third on a passed ball. Catcher Park Sei-hyok picked up the ball that squirted to his right. But as he dove toward the plate to tag the runner, Park Min-woo deftly slid around the outstretched arms of the catcher and touched the plate for a 3-2 Dinos lead.
The Bears had an answer with a three-spot in the bottom third.
Jung Soo-bin led off with a triple and Choi Joo-hwan's infield single brought him home for a tying run.
Wright gave up another hit and was gone from the game. With runners at second and third, reliever Kim Young-kyu then gave up a two-run single to Kim Jae-ho that put the Bears ahead 5-3.
The game was just getting started.
The Dinos came back and put up three runs on the board with two outs in the top fourth. They began with two straight singles. Doosan reliever Hong Geon-hui struck out the next two batters but issued a walk to load the bases.
No. 2 hitter Lee Myung-ki then snapped a 0-for-8 funk with an RBI single up the middle, bringing the Dinos to within 5-4.
Na then stepped up and picked up two more RBIs with a single to center. The Dinos were now back up by 6-5.
The Bears weren't going anywhere. With a man at third with two outs in the bottom fifth, Fernandez hit a grounder to the hole on the left and shortstop No Jin-hyuk, though he got to the ball in time, let it roll through the wicket. The game was tied 6-6.
The Bears took the lead for good in the bottom seventh, when they took advantage of the shaky Dinos bullpen.
Left-hander Lim Jung-ho came on to start the seventh and couldn't find the zone. He hit the first batter he faced. A steal and a wild pitch moved the runner to third. With one out and facing new pitcher Kim Jin-sung, Kim Jae-ho dumped a broken-bat single to shallow center for a 7-6 lead.
NC manager Lee Dong-wook rued those miscues in the seventh, with Lim hitting Choi Joo-hwan at two strikes and throwing a wild pitch when Kim Jae-hwan showed bunt.
"Ultimately, we didn't score when we had opportunities," Lee added. "I think Lim Jung-ho may have been a bit too nervous there. But physical errors are all part of the game. We just have to keep them to a minimum in the postseason."
The Dinos tried to start another rally in the top eighth, but Lee Jae-yul, who pinch ran for Kang Jin-sung following his single, got caught stealing second base. A walk and a single later in the inning amounted to nothing.
(END)
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