Samsung Beats KT with Diaz's Game-Winning Run to Level Series

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In Game 2 of the professional baseball Korean Series, the Samsung Lions defeated the KT Wiz after an exhausting 12-inning battle, evening the series. Infielder Diaz experienced a dramatic roller coaster ride of highs and lows during the victory.

Reporter Jeon Yeongmin has the story.

[Reporter]

KT and Samsung engaged in a tight pitching duel.

KT starting pitcher Ko Young-pyo pitched 7 innings allowing 1 run, while Samsung starter Fede (Fedde) also held the mound through 7 innings while giving up just a single run.

Afterward, KT brought in closer Park Young-hyun, and Samsung deployed Lee Seung-min and Won Tae-in to hold opponents scoreless through the 9th inning, pushing the game into extra innings. Samsung finally broke the tie in the top of the 10th.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Diaz hit an RBI single to right field, bringing home second base runner Kim Ji-chan.

However, in the bottom of the 10th, Diaz failed to cleanly field a grounder by KT's Hilliard, plunging the team into a bases-loaded crisis and allowing another tying run on a bases-loaded walk.

Won Tae-in prevented any further scoring by securing two quick outs, plunging the match back into uncertainty. But in the 12th, Diaz cracked the game open once more, this time with his legs.

After reaching base on an infield grounder and advancing to second on Kim Sang-jun's single, Diaz dashed to third on Lee Jae-hyeon's pitcher grounder. As KT second baseman Oh Yoon-seok's throw to first went awry, Diaz sprinted home to score the precious game-winning run, sending the dugout into wild celebration.

Samsung protected that single run until the very end, defeating KT—which utilized eight pitchers—3 to 2 to level the series.

[Diaz / Samsung Infielder: I thought to myself that I was going to run home with my life on the line. Even if the exact same situation arises again, I would do the same thing.]

KT has announced So Hyung-jun and Samsung has named Hurado as their respective starting pitchers for Game 3 tomorrow (the 6th).

(Video by Hwang In-seok, Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.