INCHEON, South Korea (Interstat) — The Shinsegae Landers’ pitching staff delivered a masterclass in run suppression Wednesday evening, combining for a six-hit shutout to blank the Doosan Bears 6-0 at Munhak Baseball Stadium.

The victory, fueled by a dominant start from Choi Min-jun and a trio of home runs, avenged a lopsided loss to the Bears just 24 hours prior and pushed the Landers back above .500 for the season at 8-7-1. Doosan fell to 5-9-1 with the defeat.

The most important sequence of the game came immediately, setting a tone the Bears could never alter. In the bottom of the first inning, Doosan starter Lee Young-ha issued a leadoff walk to Park Seong-han and, after a strikeout, allowed a double to Choi Jeong. With runners on second and third and two outs, Lee committed a pitch clock violation against cleanup hitter Ko Myeong-jun. Given new life, Ko demolished the next offering, launching a three-run homer to give Shinsegae a commanding 3-0 lead before many in the evening crowd had settled.

That early outburst proved more than sufficient for Shinsegae’s parade of pitchers. Starter Choi Min-jun, named the game’s top star, expertly managed the lead over four scoreless innings, scattering three hits and striking out four. The Landers’ bullpen then slammed the door with five perfect innings of relief before a minor blemish in the ninth.

Kim Min, Noh Kyung-eun, Jo Byeong-hyeon and winning pitcher Lee Ro-un retired 15 consecutive Doosan hitters from the fourth through the eighth innings. The Bears finally broke the string with an infield single in the ninth, but Lee Ro-un induced a game-ending double play to seal the combined shutout.

Doosan’s offense, which erupted for 11 runs on Tuesday, was stifled and repeatedly stymied by double plays. The Bears grounded into four twin killings on the night, snuffing out potential rallies in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings. Their best chance came in the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk against reliever Kim Min. Yang Eui-ji popped out, and Daz Cameron grounded into yet another inning-ending double play to preserve the 3-0 lead.

Shinsegae provided ample insurance late. In the bottom of the sixth, Oh Tae-gon led off with a solo home run to extend the lead to 4-0. Later, Park Seong-han added an RBI single in the same frame. In the eighth, second baseman Jeong Jun-jae put an exclamation point on the night with a solo shot to right field, finalizing the 6-0 margin.

Lee Young-ha took the loss for Doosan, falling to 0-1 after allowing three runs on three hits in just one inning of work. Doosan relievers Kim Jeong-woo, Park Shin-zi and Tamura Ichiro provided scoreless outings, but the damage was done early.

The game defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a narrow 3-2 Shinsegae victory, and its ELO system gave the Landers a 58.3% probability to win. However, Doosan had been installed as a -1.5 run favorite on the betting spread. The total score of six also fell dramatically under the over/under line of 11.0.

The result sets up a decisive rubber match in the three-game series Thursday at Munhak. Doosan will look to rebound before returning to Seoul for a weekend series against the Kia Tigers. The Landers will embark on a road trip to face the NC Dinos starting Friday.