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| Yoon Do-hyun / Photo=DB |
[Sports Today Reporter Shin Seo-young] The KIA Tigers leaned on the long ball to snap a four-game skid in exhibition play.
KIA defeated the Doosan Bears 11-6 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 21 in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition game.
The win snapped KIA’s four-game losing streak and moved them to 3 wins, 1 tie and 5 losses in the exhibition slate. Doosan is 6-3.
KIA starter Nail picked up the victory, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing two hits, issuing two walks and recording two strikeouts.
In the lineup, Jeong Hyun-chang was a catalyst, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer that proved decisive, three RBIs, a run scored, a walk and a steal. Yoon Do-hyun supplied power as well, belting homers in consecutive at-bats.
Doosan starter Choi Seung-yong took the loss, yielding six runs (two earned) on five hits, including two homers, while walking three and striking out three across four innings.
KIA opened the scoring with a big third inning. In the top of the third, leadoff hitter Lee Chang-jin reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, and Kim Tae-gun followed with a walk to put runners at first and second with no outs. Jeong Hyun-chang then crushed Choi’s third pitch — a 145 km/h fastball — into the gap in center for a three-run homer to put KIA up 3-0.
Riding that momentum, KIA added another in the same inning when, with two outs and nobody on, Yoon Do-hyun launched a solo shot to left to make it 4-0. Castro singled, Oh Seon-woo was hit by a pitch, and Park Min ripped an RBI triple to center that pushed the lead to 6-0.
Doosan squandered a chance to respond in the bottom of the third. After one out, Kim Ki-yeon singled up the middle and Park Chan-ho drew a walk to create a one-out, runners-on-first-and-second situation. But Jeong Soo-bin and Cameron were both retired, and Doosan left the runners stranded.
KIA kept applying pressure. In the top of the fifth, leadoff hitter Yoon Do-hyun jumped on reliever Choi Won-jun’s fourth pitch — a 141 km/h fastball — and sent it over the left-field wall for his second straight homer.
Doosan’s offense, silent through the first five innings, finally stirred in the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Jeong Soo-bin drew a walk from reliever Choi Ji-min, and Cameron followed with an RBI double to right that put runners on second and third with no outs. Yang Eui-ji then delivered a two-run single to cut KIA’s lead to 7-2.
Doosan kept coming. They added on when Ahn Jae-seok singled and Park Ji-hoon walked to load the bases with two outs. KIA called on Han Jae-seung from the bullpen, but Park Jun-soon hammered Han’s third pitch — a 141 km/h fastball — over the left-field fence for a three-run homer. Doosan scored five in the sixth and pulled within 7-5.
KIA responded immediately. In the top of the seventh, leadoff hitter Park Jae-hyun worked a four-pitch walk, advanced to second on a balk and later scored on Kim Seok-hwan’s RBI double to center.
In the top of the ninth, Na Sung-bum and Oh Seon-woo hit back-to-back doubles to add another run. With one out and runners on second and third, Han Jun-soo delivered a two-run single that pushed the lead to 11-5 and effectively iced the game.
KIA turned the ninth over to closer Sung Young-tak. Sung retired Park Jun-soon on an infield grounder but then surrendered a solo shot to Yoon Jun-ho that cleared the left-field wall. He finished the game by retiring Lee Yoo-chan and Kim Min-seok on routine outs to preserve the 11-6 win.
[Sports Today Reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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