▲ Koo Ja-wook celebrates after hitting a go-ahead double
The Samsung Lions and Hanwha Eagles have both swept their respective three-game weekend series.
Samsung secured a 7-4 victory against the kt wiz in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on June 28, extending their winning streak to four games.
The gap between second-place Samsung and third-place KT has widened to 1.5 games.
Trailing 1-2, Samsung turned the tide in the sixth inning with a big inning, scoring four or more runs.
Facing KT starter Ko Young-pyo, who had been pitching effectively by inducing seven ground balls through five innings, Samsung capitalized on two hits with one out and runners on first and third. Koo Ja-wook hit a two-run double down the right-field line to take the lead, followed immediately by a two-run homer from Choi Hyung-woo, extending the lead to 5-2.
Choi Hyung-woo is now one home run away from becoming the second player in history to record double-digit home runs for 19 consecutive seasons.
After KT narrowed the gap with a two-run shot by Choi Won-joon in the seventh, Samsung added two more runs in the bottom of the inning, aided by a pinch-hit triple from Park Seung-gyu and an RBI single from Kim Ji-chan, maintaining a three-run lead.
Samsung starter Yang Chang-sup earned his sixth consecutive win with a solid six-inning, two-run performance, while Ko Young-pyo, who had been on a five-game winning streak, took the loss after the sixth-inning rally.
In Incheon, Hanwha defeated the SSG Landers 6-3, thanks to a ninth-inning three-run homer by Yonathan Perlaza, pushing SSG into a four-game losing streak.
Home runs decided the outcome of the game.
In the third inning with one out and a runner on first, Hanwha's Choi In-ho broke the scoreless tie with a two-run homer over the right-field fence.
Hanwha added another run after two outs with three consecutive hits to lead 3-0.
SSG's Kim Jae-hwan, who hit an RBI single in the fourth, tied the game in the eighth with a two-run homer to left-center off Hanwha's third pitcher, Lee Sang-gyu, with two outs and a runner on first.
However, in the ninth with two outs and runners on second and third, Perlaza hit a three-run homer to right field off SSG closer Cho Byeong-hyun, shifting the momentum of the game back to Hanwha.
Lee Sang-gyu, who blew the save after entering in the eighth, was credited with the win.
Hanwha starter Ryu Hyun-jin pitched brilliantly, allowing only one run over six innings, but did not factor into the decision. He struck out seven batters, leaving him just one shy of 2,500 career strikeouts in professional baseball combined between Korea and the U.S.
The NC Dinos routed the Kiwoom Heroes 9-2 in Changwon.
Facing Kiwoom starter Nathan Wiles, NC scored five runs in the first inning, fueled by three consecutive hits, an error, and a three-run homer by Park Kun-woo to left-center, setting the tone for a dominant victory.
Park Kun-woo became the second player this season, following Austin Dean of the LG Twins, to hit a home run against every team in the league.
Solo home runs followed from Lee Woo-sung (second inning), Kim Hwi-jip (third inning), and Kim Hyung-jun (fifth inning).
Wiles, who signed with Kiwoom for $910,000—$10,000 more than Raul Alcantara—was pulled after just one inning and 44 pitches, suffering his fourth loss of the season without a win.
NC starter Riley Thompson earned his third win, pitching five strong innings with 13 strikeouts and allowing two runs.
The KIA Tigers crushed the Doosan Bears 12-1, ending their seven-game losing streak at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
Second-year high school graduate right-hander Kim Tae-hyung laid the foundation for the victory with a surprising seven-inning, one-run performance.
With the game tied 0-0 in the fifth, Kim Ho-ryung ignited the offense with a two-run homer to left field.
Starting with a solo homer by Kim Do-young in the sixth, KIA batted around the order, collecting five hits and three walks to score seven runs and force Doosan to concede.
Kim Ho-ryung led the offensive charge, contributing five RBIs on his own.
Doosan brought in Kim Dong-ju and Park Shin-ji in relief of starter Choi Seung-yong in the sixth, but they could not cool down the Tigers' bats.
Doosan avoided a shutout with a solo homer by Park Jun-sun in the seventh.
In Busan, the Lotte Giants defeated the LG Twins 11-9, led by a six-RBI performance from Ko Seung-min.
Playing as the seventh-order batter and second baseman, Ko hit a grand slam to right field in the third inning with two outs and the bases loaded to narrow the score to 1-2, and added a two-run RBI single in the fourth to extend the lead to 8-2.
After LG closed the gap to 7-8 in the fifth with a two-run single by Austin and other hits, Lotte added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Noh Jin-hyuk and sealed the win with a two-run double by Son Seong-bin in the seventh.
Home run leader Austin hit his 24th homer of the season, a two-run shot over the left-center fence in the eighth, and recorded five RBIs, but the loss left him disappointed.
He maintains a one-home-run lead over second-place Kim Do-young, who hit his 23rd homer.
Lotte starter Jeremy Beasley was ejected in the fifth inning after hitting Song Chan-ui in the face with a fastball. It was the ninth headshot ejection of the season.
(Photo: Provided by Samsung Lions and Hanwha Eagles, Yonhap News)
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