Doosan defeat NC, take 2-0 lead in Korean Series

Yang Eui-ji of the Doosan Bears runs after hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning during Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Korean Series Game 2 between the Bears and the NC Dinos at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southeastern Seoul, Sunday. The Bears won 5-1. / Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

Defending champion Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) defeated the NC Dinos again in Game 2 of the Korean Series, Sunday.

The Bears, who took a 1-0 Game 1 win on Saturday, defeated the Dinos 5-1 at their home Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. With the win, the Bears only need two more wins to successfully defend the championship title in a best-of-seven series. The two will play Game 3 at the Dinos home park Masan Baseball Stadium on Tuesday.

Bears starting pitcher Chang Won-jun became a winning pitcher for allowing only one run with 10 hits and five strike outs while throwing 116 pitches in eight 2/3 innings. Though he left only one out to shut out the game, Chang yielded the mound to Lee Hyun-seung who closed the game out.

In batting, Yang Eui-ji helped the most going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Yang was named MVP of the game.

It was the Bears who scored first. At the bottom of the fourth inning, Min Byung-hun, Kim Jae-hwan and Nick Evans took up full bases after each hit a single against Dinos starter Eric Hacker. Though Hacker got Oh Jae-il to fly out, he allowed a hit to Yang to give a 1-0 lead to the Bears.

Golfer Park In-bee throws the first pitch in Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization Korea Series between the Doosan Bears and the NC Dinos at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Sunday. / Yonhap

The Dinos, who collected four double plays, scored their first run in the eighth inning. With runners on first and third bases with two outs, Lee Jong-wook hit a single to score third base runner Mo Chang-min.

But the Bears broke a 1-1 tie in the following inning. Park was hit by a pitch from Hacker and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. He scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch to make 2-1.

The Bears added three more runs in the inning. Kim Jae-hwan smashed a solo home run deep into right field to knock the Dinos starter out of the game. Against the Dinos bullpen, the Bears scored two more runs with Oh’s RBI single and Yang’s RBI double.

Bears manager Kim Tae-hyung gave his credit with starter Chang.

“We could pull off a hard win. I was half-expectant and half-worried about Chang but he displayed his best pitching today. I was worried about him as he took too long a break but he did really well,” Kim said after the game.

Kim said he won’t introduce too many changes in Game 3.

“We already have two wins. I think we can produce good results in the following game if we continue on just like this. I don’t think I will change the roster in Game 3,” he said. The Bears will start right-hander Michael Bowden who recorded 18 wins and seven losses with an ERA of 3.80 while throwing 180 innings in the regular season.

Dinos manager Kim Kyung-moon said he will try for their first win in the series. “Upon my experience in the postseason, I expected our batters would do better than in Game 1, but it didn’t go well.”

The Dinos will start Choi Keum-kang who split his time in the rotation and the bullpen in the regular season, recording 11 wins and four losses with an ERA of 5.00.