Tigers rally past Lions to win suspended opener of Korean Series

Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Samsung Lions during Game 1 of the Korean Series at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, Oct. 23. Yonhap

The Kia Tigers used a seventh-inning rally to defeat the Samsung Lions 5-1 in their suspended opening game of the South Korean baseball championship series Wednesday, some 48 hours after it began in the southern city of Gwangju.

The Tigers put up a four-spot in the bottom seventh to take Game 1 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

The game had been suspended due to rain Monday night, with the Lions leading 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Kim Hun-gon had given the Lions the lead with a solo home run off Tigers starter James Naile minutes before the suspension, and the Lions had two runners aboard with nobody out and Kim Young-woong at the plate against reliever Jang Hyun-sik.

After Jeon Sang-hyun replaced Jang when play resumed, the Lions failed to score in the sixth, setting the stage for the Tigers' comeback in the seventh.

It was the first postseason game to be suspended in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history.

The teams were originally scheduled to resume the game and then play Game 2 on Tuesday, but unplayable field conditions and expected rain caused further postponement to Wednesday.

Game 2 is scheduled to begin later Wednesday at the same park.

In Korean Series history, Game 1 winners went on to win the title 29 out of 40 occasions, or 72.5 percent of the time. This excludes the 1982 Korean Series, when the first game ended in a tie.

While the odds are stacked against the Lions, the past two champions both lost the opening games before going on to win their titles. (Yonhap)