Doosan off to strong start with win over Kia in Korean Series Game 1

Doosan Bears’ starting pitcher Dustin Nippert pitches in the bottom of the first inning during Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, Wednesday. The Bears won 5-3. / Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

President Moon Jae-in tosses the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the Korean Series between the Kia Tigers and the Doosan Bears at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, Wednesday. Moon became the fifth president to throw the ceremonial pitch in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League game. / Yonhap

The Doosan Bears opened the Korean Series campaign with a 5-3 win over the Kia Tigers, Wednesday, .

The best-of-seven championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League began with President Moon Jae-in’s ceremonial first pitch at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

The Bears, in their quest for a three-peat, could grab the win thanks to back-to-back home runs by Kim Jae-hwan and Oh Jae-il in the fifth inning. The Bears’ starter Dustin Nippert was named MVP of Game 1, throwing six solid innings.

With the win, the Seoul-based team is now in a better position to earn its sixth Korean Series win. In the previous 34 Korean Series, 75.8 percent of Game 1 winners went on to win the title.

The Bears scored the first run in the top of the fourth inning with Oh Jae-won’s bases-loaded walk.

With one out, the Tigers’ starter Hector Noesi walked two straight batters to load the bases. After a fielding error by second baseman An Chi-hong, the Dominican ace struck out Park Sei-hyeok but walked Oh to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The Bears’ big inning came in the fifth inning as they scored four runs.

With a runner on second with one out, Park Kun-woo hit a RBI single to left for a 2-0 lead. The Bears added three more runs as Kim Jae-hwan smashed a two-run home run and Oh Jae-il then followed up with a solo home run. The back-to-back homers were the 22nd in postseason history and eighth in Korea Series.

The Tigers quickly responded in the following inning as Roger Bernadina smashed a three-run home run off Nippert to cut the deficit to 5-3. But the Bears’ bullpen didn’t let it get away as Ham Deok-ju and Kim Kang-ryul combined three scoreless innings.

The Game 2 will take place at the same place, Thursday. It will be a duel of southpaw aces as the Tigers will start Yang Hyeon-jong who had 20 wins and six losses in 193.1 innings in the regular season while the Bears will start Chang Won-jun, who recorded 14 wins and nine losses in 180.1 innings.