By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The Doosan Bears hit the Samsung Lions pitchers hard with a playoff record 21 hits to even the Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO) second round playoff series 2-2 in a 12-6 win Monday.
In Game 4 at Daegu Stadium, designated hitter Hong Seong-heon, who has been struggling in the series with just one hit, went 3-for-4 with one homer and three RBIs and second baseman Ko Young-min, who batted sixth, also produced three RBIs on two hits.
Along with the most hits record, all the Bears batters in the starting lineup produced at least a hit, the 11th in postseason history, and their 12 runs also mark the most in a game in the playoffs.
The Bears seemed determined from the beginning to avoid a three-straight loss, which will put them on the brink of elimination.
A barrage of singles by leadoff hitter Lee Jong-wook and Oh Jae-won and next batter Kim Hyun-soo walk loaded the bases in the first inning.
Lions veteran starter Lee Sang-mok, who delivered only one inning with 44 pitches, walked cleanup man Kim Dong-joo again to make it 1-0 and Hong Seong-heon hit a sacrifice fly to bring Oh home for a 2-0 lead.
Ko, who had two hits Sunday, hit a two-run double and catcher Chae Sang-byung capped the five-run first inning with another RBI double.
The Bears continued adding a run in every inning until the sixth, including Hong's solo shot in the fourth.
The 31-year-old connected to left-handed Jun Byung-ho's fifth pitch for a solo homer, estimated at 125 meters.
For the Lions, shortstop Park Jin-man hit a solo home run off Bears' starter Kim Sun-woo, who just lasted 2 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs on four hits, in the second and the Lions scored two runs on Yang Joon-hyuk's sacrifice fly and Park Sok-min's run-scoring single in the third.
They also added two runs in the sixth and a run in the final inning, which was not enought to catch.
The home side put five leadoff men on first base, but only one of them led to a score.
Bears reliever Jung Jae-hoon threw 3 2/3 innings and gave up two runs to pick up his second victory of the playoffs.
Lions right-hander Bae Young-soo will face Bears American hurler Matt Randel in Game 5 in Daegu Tuesday.