▲ Samsung's Choi Hyeong-woo records his 1,800th career RBI in the KBO during the game against the LG Twins on the 7th.
The Samsung Lions have reclaimed the top spot in the standings for the first time in 39 days after winning the first game of their final three-game series of the first half against the LG Twins.
Samsung secured a decisive 9-2 victory in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park today (the 7th), breaking down LG starting pitcher Anders Tolhurst with a big inning (four or more runs in a single inning) in the fifth.
With this win, Samsung extended its winning streak to five games and moved into first place for the first time in 39 days, since May 29.
On a day that featured a pitching duel between the two teams' aces, Ariel Jurado (Samsung) and Tolhurst, LG took an early lead with a two-run home run over the left-field fence by Park Dong-won with one out and a runner on first in the fourth inning.
Samsung created a chance to chase the lead in the fifth inning after one out, following a single to left by Kim Ji-chan and a hit-by-pitch for Kim Hyun-jun.
Koo Ja-wook drove Kim Ji-chan home with an RBI single to right field.
Shortly after, Choi Hyeong-woo tied the game with an RBI double down the left-field line.
With two outs and runners on second and third, LG second baseman Shin Min-jae's throw to first base on a grounder by Ryu Ji-hyuk sailed wide, allowing both Koo Ja-wook and Choi Hyeong-woo to score and turn the game around to 4-2.
In the seventh inning, with no outs and a runner on second, Choi Hyeong-woo hit an RBI single to right-center to extend the lead to 5-2, marking the first time in league history that a player has reached the 1,800 RBI milestone.
Choi Hyeong-woo continues to lead the all-time RBI category, sitting more than 100 RBIs ahead of second-place Choi Jeong (SSG Landers, 1,678).
Samsung added another run in the seventh with an RBI single by Kim Young-woong to make it 6-2, and then tacked on three more runs in the eighth, including a two-run homer over the right-field fence by Lewin Diaz, forcing LG to concede.
"Inning-eater" Jurado earned the win with a stellar performance, allowing two runs over six innings, while Tolhurst took the loss after giving up four runs in five innings.
The SSG Landers snapped a long nine-game losing streak by defeating the Doosan Bears 4-2 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, thanks to a scoreless pitching effort from rookie Kim Min-jun, who debuted this year.
Kim Min-jun threw a mix of fastballs reaching up to 148 km/h, along with curves, sliders, and splitters, striking out six batters over six innings while allowing only four hits and one walk to earn his second win of the season (1 loss).
With the game tied at 0-0 in the top of the sixth, SSG's Guillermo Heredia hit a two-run double to left-center against Doosan starter Wes Benjamin, who had surpassed 70 pitches, to take the lead.
In the eighth, veteran Choi Jeong hit a two-run homer over the right-field fence.
Doosan managed to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run to right by Jung Soo-bin and a sacrifice fly by Yang Eui-ji, but that was all they could muster.
kt wiz right-handed pitcher So Hyeong-jun ended the first half on a high note, picking up his first win in 75 days.
kt defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 3-0 in their home game in Suwon.
In a battle between two of Korea's representative young pitchers, So Hyeong-jun came out on top against An Woo-jin (Kiwoom).
So Hyeong-jun completed his mission by pitching seven scoreless innings, inducing double plays at critical moments despite allowing seven hits.
So Hyeong-jun, who was removed from the roster in early May due to shoulder pain and returned in the middle of last month, recorded his fourth win of the season, 75 days after his third win against the KIA Tigers on April 23.
An Woo-jin struck out six and held on for six innings while allowing three runs, but suffered his fifth loss (2 wins) due to a lack of run support from his team.
kt scored two runs in the second inning with one out and runners on second and third, following a single by Kim Hyun-soo and a walk by Heo Kyoung-min, thanks to a triple to right-center by Bae Jung-dae.
Bae Jung-dae then scored on an RBI single by Jo Dae-hyun.
Kiwoom hindered its own efforts by hitting into three double plays.
At Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, the Lotte Giants routed the KIA Tigers 10-2, racking up 18 hits.
Victor Reyes went 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and Son Seong-bin contributed with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and 2 RBIs.
Lotte easily secured the win by battering KIA starter Kim Tae-hyung from the first inning.
After tying the game 1-1 with two doubles from Hwang Seong-bin and Reyes, Lotte took a 4-1 lead with an infield hit by Han Tae-yang and a single to center by Jang Doo-sung.
Lotte added another run in the second, and in the third, they signaled a blowout by scoring three more runs following an RBI double to left-center by Son Seong-bin and consecutive hits by Reyes and Han Dong-hee.
Lotte starter Elvin Rodriguez, who had been on a three-game losing streak at home, pitched effectively for seven innings, striking out nine and holding the KIA lineup to one run on three hits to earn his fifth win of the season (5 losses).
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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