Samsung Lions players watch the end of their 8-3 loss to the Kia Tigers in Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
GWANGJU, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — In losing the first two games of the Korean Series against the Kia Tigers Wednesday, the Samsung Lions did not come close to resembling the team that pounded out eight home runs and 28 hits over two games last week.
As this best-of-seven series shifts to their home in Daegu, 235 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Lions will be desperately seeking some offense at the very place where their offensive onslaught took place.
The Lions lost the suspended opening game of the Korean Series 5-1 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of the capital, and then dropped the second game by 8-3 just hours later.
In Game 2, the Lions outhit the Tigers 12-10. Upon closer examination, though, it’s easy to see that many of them were only empty calories.
The Lions hit three singles with two outs in the top of the ninth for their third run with the game already out of reach. Lewin Diaz led all players in this game with four hits, but none of them came with a runner on base: ditto for Ryu Ji-hyuk and his three hits from the No. 7 spot. And when those two reached, their teammates failed to keep the line moving and sustain pressure on opposing pitchers.
Compare that to the Tigers, who were more relentless and opportunistic. In the bottom first, they jumped on shell-shocked starter Hwang Dong-jae for five hits, including a string of four consecutive hits that eventually knocked the right-hander out of the game even before the inning was over.
The Tigers only had five more hits the rest of the game, but one of them was a solo home run by Kim Do-yeong in the second inning. Their early hits came exactly when the Tigers needed them.
After the losses, Lions manager Park Jin-man said lack of power hitting hurt his team.
Samsung Lions players leave the field after losing to the Kia Tigers 8-3 in Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
In these two games so far, the Tigers hold a slim lead in the hit count at 17-16. But they are slugging at a .419 clip, compared to just a .319 mark by the Lions. The Tigers have had six extra-base hits, two more than their opponent.
The Tigers have a wider distribution in their hits, with seven players having recorded at least two hits apiece. For the Lions, Diaz and Ryu have accounted for half of their 16 hits. Designated hitter Park Byung-ho, who is tied for second all time with 13 career postseason home runs, is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in this series.
Park Jin-man said he hopes things will change for the better in the next two games, set to be played at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
In terms of both statistics and narrative, it is the most hitter-friendly stadium in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), a bandbox where seemingly routine flies find their way over the fence.
The stadium yielded 216 home runs in 71 regular-season games, and helped the Lions lead the KBO this year with 185 home runs.
Hosting the LG Twins in the previous round last week, the Lions hammered three home runs in a 10-4 win in Game 1, and then slugged five more dingers in a 10-5 win in Game 2.
Park Byung-ho of the Samsung Lions strikes out against Jang Hyun-sik of the Kia Tigers during Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
But their bats cooled off considerably after that series shifted to Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the league’s largest ballpark where fly balls go to die. The Lions lost the third game 1-0 before winning the next game 1-0, while combining for eight hits in those two contests.
The Lions have not recovered since, and it bears watching whether playing at home will help keep their title hopes alive.
“For us to win games, we have to get some extra-base hits. In the second game here, we had our share of hits,” Park said. “It’s just that we couldn’t drive runners home in key moments, and we only got a bunch of singles. We made life difficult for ourselves that way. Now that we’re going home to Daegu, we will hopefully be able to produce some big hits and change the momentum.”
This is the 42nd playing of the Korean Series, and there have been 20 occasions where a team dropped the first two games. Only the 2007 SK Wyverns and the 2013 Lions emerged from that hole to capture the championship.
(Yonhap)
