GWANGJU (Interstat) — Kim Seong-yoon hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning, and Park Gye-beom added a solo shot in the eighth as the Samsung Lions held off the Kia Tigers 5-4 on Tuesday evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, South Korea. The game drew an announced attendance of 20,500 and lasted 3 hours, 1 minute. Samsung improved to 81-52-2, while Kia fell to 73-60-2.

Samsung opened the scoring in the first inning. Kim Ji-chan reached on a slow-rolling infield single to the pitcher, moved to second on Kim Seong-yoon’s groundout to short, and scored when Lewin Díaz doubled in front of the left fielder. Park Seung-kyu struck out before Díaz’s double, and Choi Hyoung-woo flied out to left to end the inning. Kia went down in order in the bottom half on a groundout to first, a flyout to center and a groundout to short. Samsung also went quietly in the second. Kang Min-ho grounded out to first, Kim Young-woong struck out and Lee Jae-hyeon grounded out to short.

Kia put a runner in scoring position in the second when Harold Castro doubled over the head of the center fielder. Na Sung-bum struck out, Kim Sun-bin grounded out to third and Kim Ho-ryung grounded out to third to strand Castro. Samsung added a run in the third. Ryu Ji-hyuk singled to center, Kim Ji-chan singled to left, and Kim Seong-yoon’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Park Seung-kyu struck out, but walks to Lewin Díaz and Choi Hyoung-woo forced in Ryu. Kang Min-ho struck out to leave the bases loaded. Kia answered in the bottom of the third. Ha Ju-suk reached on an error by the first baseman, Park Jung-woo walked, and Park Jae-hyun struck out before Kim Do-yeong homered to center field. The three-run shot moved Kia ahead 3-2.

Kia extended its lead in the fifth. Ha Ju-suk singled to right, Park Jung-woo singled to left, and Park Jae-hyun’s sacrifice bunt to the catcher advanced both runners. Kim Do-yeong followed with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Ha Ju-suk. Harold Castro flied out to left to end the inning. Samsung had a chance in the fourth when Lee Jae-hyeon walked and Ryu Ji-hyuk reached on a fielder’s choice, but the rally ended when Lee was out at second and Kim Hyeon-joon flied out to left. In the bottom of the fourth, Na Sung-bum dropped a third strike, Kim Sun-bin grounded out to third and Kim Ho-ryung singled on an infield hit to the left side. Kim Ho-ryung stole second before Kim Tae-gun flied out to left. Samsung’s Kim Seong-yoon flied out to left in the fifth, Park Seung-kyu singled down the left-field line and Lewin Díaz struck out.

Samsung tied the game in the seventh. Kim Hyeon-joon walked, and Kim Seong-yoon homered to right field to make it 4-4. Park Seung-kyu popped out to second, Jeon Byeong-woo struck out and Kim Hun-gon grounded out to short. In the bottom half, Kim Tae-gun flied out to left, Ha Ju-suk singled down the left-field line, and Park Jung-woo grounded into a double play that erased Ha at second. Park Gye-beom then put Samsung ahead in the eighth with a home run to left field. Kim Do-hwan fouled out to first and Kim Young-woong struck out before Park’s blast, and Kim Sang-jun flied out to left after it. Kia’s bottom of the eighth went quietly when Park Jae-hyun popped out to first, Kim Do-yeong struck out and Harold Castro struck out.

Kia third baseman Kim Do-yeong went 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs. Kim Tae-hyeong started for the Tigers and worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts. Samsung starter Im Gi-yeong pitched 3 1/3 innings, yielding three hits and one earned run with two strikeouts. Jang Chan-hee supplied 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Samsung right fielder Kim Seong-yoon finished 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Park Gye-beom’s solo homer provided the winning margin. Lewin Díaz doubled and drove in Samsung’s first run.

Lee Seung-min and Bae Chan-seung each tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts for Samsung. Choi Ji-min recorded one out with a walk for Kia, Cho Sang-woo pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout, and Jeon Sang-hyun retired two batters without allowing a hit. Samsung’s bullpen protected the one-run lead after the late home runs, and Kia could not answer in the final innings. The Tigers had six hits, while the Lions finished with seven. Kia’s Harold Castro doubled over the center fielder’s head in the second inning, but Na Sung-bum struck out and Kim Sun-bin and Kim Ho-ryung grounded out to third. Kim Ho-ryung also had an infield single in the fourth and stole second before Kim Tae-gun flied out to left.

Samsung’s win followed a recent stretch in which it had lost to Doosan in its previous game, while Kia had won at LG in its previous contest. The Lions improved their season mark to 81-52-2 and stayed ahead of the Tigers, who dropped to 73-60-2. The game lasted 3 hours, 1 minute in front of 20,500 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. Samsung scored in the first, third, seventh and eighth innings. Kia scored in the third and fifth. The contest featured three home runs, including Kim Do-yeong’s three-run drive, Kim Seong-yoon’s tying two-run shot and Park Gye-beom’s go-ahead solo homer. Samsung’s pitchers combined to limit Kia after the early damage, and the Lions held on for the one-run victory.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Samsung Lions 8, Kia Tigers 7. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Samsung with a 52.4 percent probability to win.