KIA Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho's decision to move Kim Do-young into the second spot in the batting order paid off on Friday, as the third baseman reached base three times and scored twice in a 4-2 comeback win over the Samsung Lions, according to 뉴스핌. The game, played at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, was Game 4 of the best-of-five Korean Baseball Organization playoff series.
The victory pulled KIA level at two wins apiece after the team had fallen behind 1-2 and faced elimination. The deciding Game 5 is scheduled for November 1 at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, with a place in the Korean Series on the line.
Kim, who batted second and played third base, went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Both of his runs came with KIA trailing, each one pulling the team back to level terms.
Why it matters
KIA's table-setting had been the team's biggest problem through the first three playoff games. The club cycled through different combinations at the top of the order — Park Jung-woo and Park Jae-hyun in Game 1, Park Jae-hyun and Lee Ho-yeon in Game 2, and Park Jae-hyun and Kim Ho-ryung in Game 3 — without generating much offense, 뉴스핌 reported.
Lee responded before Game 4 by reshuffling his lineup significantly. Kim, previously the No. 3 hitter, was bumped up to second, while Harold Castro and Na Sung-bum each moved up one place to bat third and fourth. The change gave KIA's most dangerous hitter an extra plate appearance and put him in front of the heart of the order.
According to 머니투데이, Kim is batting .438 in the series, and the No. 2 experiment was described by the outlet as a major success. KBS 뉴스 framed the Gwangju game as a power-versus-power contest between Kim and Samsung's Diaz.
How the runs came
Kim's first contribution came in the bottom of the fourth with KIA down 1-0. Leading off the inning against Samsung starter Chris Paddack, he drove a ball to right-center field for a double. 뉴스핌 noted that the hit might have been a single for most players, but Kim's speed turned it into extra bases.
That extra base mattered. With two outs and runners on first and second, Han Jun-su singled to left, bringing Kim home to tie the game at 1-1. It was Kim's first run of the night.
The seventh inning produced the more decisive moment. Trailing 2-1 with one out and nobody on, Kim hit a ground ball toward third base. Samsung third baseman Kim Young-woong failed to field it cleanly, and Kim immediately took off for second. That aggressive baserunning turned into the tying run when Castro followed with a single, sending Kim across the plate to make it 2-2.
KIA kept going from there. Kim Sun-bin singled to put runners on first and third with two outs, and Han Jun-su delivered a go-ahead single. Ha Joo-seok added another RBI single, and KIA finished the inning ahead 4-2.
Lee praised Kim after the game, saying he had prepared the lineup change to get Kim one more at-bat in a game KIA could not afford to lose. The manager said he had no choice but to trust Kim's talent, and credited him for hitting, running the bases well and fielding cleanly, per 뉴스핌.
Leadoff spot remains unresolved
The win did not solve KIA's problems at the top of the order. Park Jae-hyun, batting leadoff, went 0-for-5 and is now 2-for-18 in the playoffs, a .111 average, according to 뉴스핌. In his fourth at-bat he attempted a surprise bunt but pushed it too close to the pitcher and was thrown out easily.
Kim Sun-bin, batting fifth and playing second base, recorded a multi-hit game, but 뉴스핌 reported he has been dealing with a leg issue. The outlet noted that KIA has found no satisfactory option besides Kim Do-young in the table-setting roles.
Lee acknowledged after the game that he still has decisions to make. He said Kim had run a great deal and would need a day of rest before the team checks his condition, but added that with no other hitters in good form, Kim would likely have to stay in the second spot, according to 뉴스핌.
What to watch
KIA heads to Daegu to face Ariel Jurado, who held the Tigers to two runs over 6.2 innings in Game 2 on October 27. Whether Kim's placement at No. 2 can produce the same result against Jurado will determine which team advances to the Korean Series.
