GWANGJU (Interstat) — Kia rode a dominant start from Naile and a three-hit afternoon by Na Sung-bum to a 5-1 victory over LG on Saturday afternoon at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, South Korea. The Tigers, playing at home, improved to 70-56-2. The Twins fell to 71-56-2. Kia finished with 10 hits, while LG had eight. Attendance was 20,500. Naile worked six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out six. Na Sung-bum went 3 for 4 with a home run and one RBI.

The game turned on Kia’s pitching and timely hitting. Naile, who had thrown six innings of one-run ball in a tie at NC in his previous outing, kept LG off the board through the first six innings. He struck out six and did not issue a walk. LG had chances but could not solve Naile. The Twins grounded into a double play in the second after Oh Ji-hwan singled to center. In the sixth, Park Hae-min singled to left and Austin Dean was hit by a pitch, but Song Chan-eui flied out to left to end the threat.

Kia scored first in the opening inning and added another run in the second when Na Sung-bum homered to right field. Na finished the day 3 for 4 with one RBI. Han Jun-su also contributed a single, and Kim Ho-ryung delivered a two-run single as part of a three-run rally that broke the game open. Park Jung-woo had multiple hits and scored a run. Kia’s offense collected 10 hits and took advantage of its opportunities.

LG starter Im Chan-kyu was charged with the loss after allowing seven hits and four earned runs over 5.1 innings. He struck out two. The Twins’ bullpen followed with scoreless work from Jang Hyun-sik, Lee Woo-chan and Woo Kang-hoon. Jang pitched one inning and allowed one hit with one walk. Lee Woo-chan struck out one in a hitless inning. Woo recorded one out while allowing one hit.

Kia’s bullpen preserved the lead. Kwak Do-gyu got two outs without allowing a hit and struck out one. Jeon Sang-hyun pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout and no hits. Cho Sang-woo allowed two hits but no runs over one inning. Lee Eui-lee had a brief and wild outing, allowing one hit and one earned run while walking three and striking out one in one-third of an inning. LG scored its only run in the eighth inning, but the Twins could not close the gap.

The Twins finished with eight hits. Park Hae-min had an infield single in the eighth, and Moon Sung-ju followed with a single to center-right. Austin Dean flied out to left to end that inning. Earlier, Shin Min-jae singled in the third, Austin Dean singled in the fourth and Moon Jeong-bin singled in the fifth. LG also got a single from Oh Ji-hwan in the second. The Twins left runners on base and were hurt by double plays in the first and second innings.

Kia’s defense turned a double play in the first when Harold Castro grounded into a double play after Park Jung-woo singled. LG also grounded into a double play in the second. Kia added to its lead with a three-run fifth inning. The Tigers had scored once in the first and once in the second before the fifth-inning burst. Na Sung-bum’s home run to right field in the second was one of the game’s biggest swings. Han Jun-su also singled. Kim Ho-ryung’s two-run single helped Kia pull away.

Na Sung-bum also singled in the sixth and eighth innings. Kim Sun-bin walked twice. Kim Tae-gun singled twice. Park Jung-woo singled in the first and third. Han Jun-su singled. Harold Castro singled. Ha Ju-suk struck out once and grounded out once. Kim Ho-ryung drove in two runs with his single. Park Min reached on a fielder’s choice and flied out to center. The Kia offense kept pressure on the LG staff throughout the afternoon.

LG’s Park Hae-min lined out to first in the first, flied out to right in the third and singled in the sixth before his infield single in the eighth. Moon Sung-ju grounded out twice, struck out once and singled in the eighth. Austin Dean grounded out, singled, was hit by a pitch and flied out. Song Chan-eui popped out, struck out and flied out. Oh Ji-hwan singled, popped out and grounded out. Moon Jeong-bin grounded into a double play, singled and grounded out. Gu Bon-hyeok flied out, struck out and reached on a dropped third strike. Park Dong-won struck out and flied out. Shin Min-jae singled, struck out and flied out. The Twins could not string together enough hits against Naile and the Kia bullpen.

Kia opened the scoring in the first. Park Jung-woo singled to right-center, but Han Jun-su fouled out to third and Harold Castro grounded into a double play. LG went down in order in the top of the first on a lineout, a groundout and a groundout. In the second, Oh Ji-hwan singled for LG, but Moon Jeong-bin grounded into a double play. Na Sung-bum then homered to right field for Kia. Kim Sun-bin flied out to center, Ha Ju-suk struck out and Kim Ho-ryung popped out to second.

LG put a runner on in the third when Shin Min-jae singled to center, but Park Hae-min flied out to right. Kia answered with Park Jung-woo’s single and Han Jun-su’s single. Harold Castro fouled out to left. In the fourth, Austin Dean singled for LG, but Song Chan-eui struck out and Oh Ji-hwan popped out. Kia went down in order on a flyout, a groundout and a flyout.

The Twins threatened later. Park Hae-min singled to left, and Austin Dean was hit by a pitch after Moon Sung-ju struck out. Song Chan-eui flied out to left to end the inning. Kia later loaded the bases. Harold Castro singled, Na Sung-bum singled, and Kim Sun-bin walked. Ha Ju-suk grounded out to third, but Kim Ho-ryung singled to center to drive in two runs. Kim Tae-gun singled, and Park Min reached on a fielder’s choice.

The win improved Kia’s record to 70-56-2. LG’s record is now 71-56-2. The Tigers have won two of their last three games. The Twins entered the afternoon having won several recent series but could not carry that momentum into this one. Kia’s home crowd of 20,500 saw the Tigers take control early and hold on late. The teams are scheduled to continue their series the following day.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of LG Twins 6, Kia Tigers 5. Interstat’s ELO system had projected LG with a 50.1 percent probability to win.