The KIA Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to a two-run homer to right-center field by foreign-born slugger Socrates Brito.
Byun Woo-hyuk’s solo shot, Socrates’ two-run shot and Ryu Ji-hyeok’s wedge hit helped KIA to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Hanwha Eagles in the 2023 Baseball World Series at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Thursday.스포츠토토
Byun Woo-hyuk, who joined KIA from Hanwha in November last year, broke a 0-0 tie in the fifth inning when he pulled a fastball from Hanwha starter Jang Min-jae over the left-field fence for a 125-meter home run that traveled like a bullet at 170 kilometers per hour.
Byun Woo-hyuk’s spectacular home run swing.
[Courtesy of the KIA Tigers. Resale and DB prohibited].
Hanwha tied the game two batters later in the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run from new slugger Chae Eun-sung.
Chae hit a 120-meter solo home run off KIA starter Yoon Young-cheol into the left field stands.
The bullpen battle came down to the wire after Yoon came away empty-handed after six innings of one-run ball and Jang Min-jae struck out seven.
KIA leadoff hitter Ryu Ji-hyuk led off the eighth inning with a single up the middle off Hanwha’s third pitcher, Kang Jae-min.
Socrates, who has a knack for scooping up low pitches at first base, roared over the wall in right-center for a two-run blast off Kang’s low fastball.
Ryu Ji-hyuk lined a clean single to right field with runners on first and second in the ninth inning to give Hanwha the lead.
Noh Si-hwan, batting fourth for Hanwha, drew a one-run arch to left off KIA closer Jung Hae-young in the bottom of the ninth, his first hit in 37 at-bats since his fourth at-bat against the SSG Landers on Aug. 13 to break out of a slump.