KIA pulls off 4-2 upset over NC
The NC Dinos, aiming for third place in the season, suffered a heartbreaking upset.
The team lost 2-4 against the KIA Tigers of the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League at Gwangju-Kia
Champions Field on Saturday.
With the loss, NC slipped to fourth place (75 wins, 2 draws, 66 losses).
SSG Landers
Who defeated the Doosan Bears 3-2 earlier in the day, moved into sole possession of third place (75 points).
The owner of the “third place” spot, which can directly qualify for the semi-playoffs, will be determined on
the 17th, the final game of the season.
Sixth-place KIA, which has already been eliminated from fall baseball, has a season record of 72 wins, 2
losses and 69 draws.
The early flow was in NC’s favor.
NC’s ace, Eric Peddy, pitched 5⅔ innings of 3-hit, 5-strikeout, no-run ball to keep the KIA bats in check.
Meanwhile, the NC bats took the lead.
In the top of the first inning, Son As-seob led off with an infield hit that fell in front of the pitcher. A wild
pitch by KIA starter Lee Yi-ri and a walk by Jason Martin put runners on first and second, and Kwon Hee-
dong hit a two-run double to left-center field.
Stymied by Pedi, Kia was unable to capitalize.
Even after Pedi was replaced in the bottom of the sixth inning after being hit in the forearm by a hard hit
ball from Ko Jong-wook, KIA was unable to capitalize.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kim Young-gyu was replaced by Kim Sun-bin, who hit an infield single to
put runners on first and second with Socrates Brito retired on a pitcher’s interference.
However, NC was unable to score another run. In the end, KIA caught up with NC in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After KIA’s Lee Chang-jin and Kim Do-young singled to put runners on first and third, Go Jong-wook hit a
two-run double to the center field fence.
After tying the game, KIA scored two more runs on consecutive hits by Kim Sun-bin, Socrates, and Lee
Woo-sung to take a 4-2 lead.
After Lee gave up two runs in the fifth inning, the bullpen of Thomas Panoni (2 innings), Kim Dae-yu (⅔
inning), Park Jun-pyo (⅓ inning), and Jung Hae-young (1 inning) closed out the game with no runs. Park
Jun-pyo was named the winning pitcher. It was his first win of the season.
Pedi blew a chance to pick up his 21st win with a blown save. NC’s fourth pitcher, Jung-ho Lim, took the
loss with three runs in ⅓ of an inning. 스포츠토토맨