Bears take Korean Series lead over Lions

The Doosan Bears starter Jang Won-jun throws a pitch during the top of the fifth inning against the Samsung Lions during Game 3 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Thursday. The Bears won 5-1, taking a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-seven matchup. / Yonhap

The Doosan Bears got past the Samsung Lions 5-1 at home to take a 2-1 Korean Series lead on Thursday.

The Bears erased a 1-0 deficit with a broken-bat single in the fourth at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, while capitalizing on wobbly pitching and shaky defense on a cold and damp night. They're chasing their first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship since 2001, and trying to end the Lions' string of four consecutive titles.

Starter Jang Won-jun retired 11 straight batters in one stretch and scattered six hits over 7 2/3 innings to pick up his first Korean Series victory.

Game 4 will be back at Jamsil at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

After getting blanked for seven innings by Doosan starter Dustin Nippert in 6-1 loss in Tuesday's Game 2, the Lions got to Game 3 starter Jang in the opening frame. Rookie Koo Ja-wook, making his first Korean Series start, led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and sprinted home on a single by Yamaico Navarro for a quick 1-0 lead.

While Samsung starter Tyler Cloyd struggled with his command, the Bears failed to take advantage in the bottom third. With one out and a man on, Cloyd walked two straight batters on eight pitches to load the bases, with the Bears' two hottest hitters coming up.

The right-hander buckled down and struck out Hur Kyoung-min, 6-for-8 in the first two games, and retired Min Byung-hun, who had three RBIs in Game 2, on a fly ball to left.

Cloyd issued two straight walks again, this time to start the bottom fourth, and the Bears finally made him pay for the free passes.

After those two walks, Oh Jae-won sacrificed the runners to second and third. Park Kun-woo then got a broken-bat single to shallow right center to drive in both runners, putting the Bears ahead 2-1.

The Doosan Bears players celebrate after defeating the Samsung Lions 5-1 during Game 3 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

The Bears increased their lead to two in the fifth. After a double and a hit-by-pitch, Min Byung-hun laid down a sacrifice bunt to put men at second and third for cleanup Kim Hyun-soo.

Cloyd intentionally walked Kim to bring the double play into the equation, but the next batter, Yang Eui-ji, hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Bears ahead 3-1.

The Lions' sixth-inning rally in the top sixth proved fruitless, as Park Sok-min grounded out to short and stranded men at second and third.

The missed opportunity haunted the Lions in the bottom sixth, as the Bears padded their lead on a fortuitous play followed by a Lions' error.

With a man at first and one out, Kim Jae-ho put a bunt down the third base line. Third baseman Park Sok-min, waiting for the ball to roll foul, watched helplessly as it stayed fair and hit the bag to give Kim an infield single.

After the second walk of the inning loaded the bases for the Bears, Hur Kyoung-min hit a grounder to second baseman Yamaico Navarro on what should have been a double play ball. Instead of tossing the ball to shortstop Kim Sang-soo, Navarro stepped on the bag to get the force, but made a wild throw to first to let two runners in for a 5-1 Bears lead.

The Lions put a man on in the eighth, but then Doosan left fielder Kim Hyun-soo made a diving catch to rob Navarro of an extra-base hit.

The Lions had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth, after two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Koo, however, grounded out to first, as the Lions managed a single run for the second straight game.

Doosan closer Lee Hyun-seung, who took the loss in Game 1, picked up a four-out save this time, surviving the ninth inning adventure.

Jang threw a season-high 127 pitches, 81 for strikes and issued only one walk.

In contrast, Cloyd was erratic all evening in the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits and five walks in five innings. He made 96 pitches but only 49 for strikes.

The game was played under intermittent showers, which caused a 20-minute delay during the bottom of the first and another delay for 32 minutes in the top of the third. (Yonhap)