The Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) swept the Samsung Corporation behind a back-to-back home run by “Captain” Ahn Chi-hong. Lotte kept its fall baseball hopes alive with its first three-game winning streak of September.
Lotte won the 12th game of the season against the Samsung Lions 7-4 at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on September 17. Lotte held a 7-5 advantage in the head-to-head series against Samsung this season.
A five-hit performance from Ahn Chi-hong, led by two home runs, and a six-inning, two-run quality start from starter Park Se-woong helped the Lions to a valuable victory. Lotte remained in seventh place with a season record of 58 wins and 64 losses.
Lotte took a comfortable lead in the top of the first inning. After a walk to second baseman Lee Jung-hoon and a single to third baseman Ahn Chi-hong, Jeon Jun-woo hit an RBI single to center field for a 1-0 lead.
Infielder Ahn Chi-hong, the Lotte Giants’ captain, hit back-to-back home runs in the third and fourth innings of the 12th game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. Ahn Chi-hong bats in a game on Aug. 9. Courtesy of the Lotte Giants
Ahn activated the home run machine in the third inning. After leadoff hitter Hwang Sung-bin reached on an infield single, Ahn took a slider from Samsung starter Widener over the left field fence for his seventh two-run home run of the season. Lotte took a 3-0 lead.
Lotte Giants outfielder Hwang Sung-bin hits an infield single during the third inning of their 12th game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. Courtesy of Lotte Giants
Lotte took control of the game in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on Ahn Chi-hong’s home run and an opponent error. With runners on first and third, Widener’s wild pitch allowed Son Sung-bin to score from third to make it 4-0. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ahn Chi-hong took a slider from Samsung’s second pitcher, Choi Ji-kwang, for a three-run homer.안전놀이터
Lotte Giants pitcher Park Se-woong is removed from the game after a six-inning, two-run quality start during the 12th game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. Courtesy of the Lotte Giants
LOTTE starter Park held Samsung to two hits and no runs through three innings. Park gave up his first run in the fourth inning on a two-run homer to Samsung’s No. 5 hitter, Pirela. However, Park did not give up another run until the sixth inning and left the mound with six innings of two-run ball, four strikeouts and five walks.
Lotte Giants pitcher Choi Jun-yong pitches one and one-third scoreless innings in the seventh inning of the 12th game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Sunday. Courtesy of the Lotte Giants
Lotte went to the bullpen in the seventh inning. Jin Seung-hyun, the first pitcher in the rotation, gave up a run-scoring home run to Samsung’s No. 7 hitter, Lee Jae-hyun, to cut the deficit to 7-3. Choi Jun-yong, who took the mound after Jin Seung-hyun with two outs in the seventh, did his job perfectly, allowing one hit but striking out two, walking one and grounding out one in the eighth.
Lotte sent Kim Won-joong to the mound in the ninth inning. He got leadoff hitter Lee Jae-hyun to ground out to the catcher, but gave up a solo home run to Lee Sung-kyu, who came up to bat next. However, Kim Won-joong did not give up any more runs and the game ended 7-4.