DAEGU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Samsung Lions capitalized on a relentless offensive attack and a pivotal late-inning home run from Lewin Díaz to complete a three-game sweep of the NC Dinos with a 9-3 victory Sunday afternoon at a sun-drenched Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

A crowd of 24,000 watched the Lions improve to 8-4-1, solidifying their position near the top of the Korea Baseball Organization standings, while the Dinos fell below .500 at 6-7.

The most important sequence of the game arrived in the bottom of the eighth inning, transforming a manageable two-run deficit for NC into an insurmountable six-run chasm. With Samsung leading 6-3, Díaz, the Lions’ first baseman, stepped in against NC reliever Bae Jae-hwan. On a 1-1 offering, Díaz launched a towering solo home run deep over the left-field wall, a crushing blow that extinguished any lingering momentum the Dinos had after scoring twice in the sixth. The homer ignited a three-run rally, as Lee Sung-gyu followed with a single and later scored alongside another run on a combination of hits and NC defensive miscues, breaking the game open.

The contest began as a pitchers’ duel through the first inning but quickly turned in the second. Samsung starter Won Tae-in, who earned the win, worked around early traffic but was stung in the top of the second when NC’s Lee Woo-sung led off with a double. The Dinos could not bring him home, stranding him at third.

The Lions’ offense immediately responded in the bottom half against NC starter Lee Jun-hyeok. Díaz sparked the rally with a single, and Koo Ja-wook tripled him home. After a walk, Jeon Byeong-woo delivered an RBI single to tie the game. An error and a sacrifice fly from Kang Min-ho gave Samsung a 3-0 lead, erasing the early zeros in a decisive five-hit, three-run inning.

Samsung added a single run in the fourth on an RBI single from Díaz, scoring Park Seung-kyu to make it 4-0. The Dinos, held to just three hits through five innings by Won and reliever Im Gi-yeong, finally broke through in the sixth. Designated hitter Oh Young-soo led off the frame with a solo home run to right field. Two pitches later, left fielder Lee Woo-sung followed with a solo shot of his own to left, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and injecting sudden life into the NC dugout.

The Lions answered that challenge in the bottom of the sixth, however. Kim Ji-chan singled and scored from second when Choi Hyoung-woo’s single to left was compounded by an error from the pitcher, Lee Jun-hyeok. Díaz added another single in the inning, pushing Samsung’s lead to 5-3.

NC threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs on two walks and a hit batter, but Samsung reliever Lee Seung-min induced an inning-ending groundout to third from Shin Jae-in to preserve the two-run lead. That set the stage for Díaz’s game-sealing heroics in the bottom of the eighth.

The Lions’ bullpen committee, following Won Tae-in’s five innings of two-run ball, was effective. Im Gi-yeong, Lee Seung-min, Bae Chan-seung and Jang Chan-hee combined to allow just one run over the final four innings, scattering three hits.

The loss extended a difficult stretch for the Dinos, who have now dropped four of their last five games, including three straight in Daegu by a combined score of 22-12. The Lions, conversely, have won five of their last six.

Samsung’s 14-hit offensive showcase was led by Díaz, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Kang Min-ho and Kim Ji-chan each added three hits for the Lions. For NC, Oh Young-soo and Lee Woo-sung provided the bulk of the offense with their back-to-back homers, accounting for two of the team’s six hits.

The Dinos will travel to Suwon for a three-game series against the KT Wiz beginning Tuesday, looking to halt their skid. The Lions will hit the road for a three-game set against the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon, also starting Tuesday.