[Anchor]

In a showdown between the first and second-place teams separated by just one game, Samsung defeated LG to finish the first half of the season in first place for the first time since 2015.

Bae Jeonghun reports.

[Reporter]

In the 6th inning with the score tied at 3-3, LG made a bold move by bringing in bullpen ace Rios for the second consecutive day, but the focus of the Samsung lineup shone brighter.

With a runner on first and no outs, Kang Min-ho hit a go-ahead RBI double down the left-field line, and in the following opportunity with two outs and a runner on third, pinch hitter Kim Seong-yoon delivered an RBI single to extend the lead.

Samsung, which sealed the victory with Kim Young-woong's first home run of the season in the 8th inning, defeated LG 6-5 to confirm their first-place finish in the first half for the first time since 2015.

LG, which chased with two runs in the 9th inning, suffered a bitter defeat as they squandered their final opportunity with one out and bases loaded due to a double play.

KIA snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Lotte, powered by a home run from Kim Do-young.

Leading 2-1 in the 6th inning, Kim Do-young stepped up as the leadoff hitter and pulled the first pitch for a massive hit; the ball, which traveled at a speed of over 182 km/h, turned into a huge 130-meter home run.

With his 27th home run of the season, Kim Do-young tied with LG's Austin for the lead in the home run category.

Adding a two-run insurance homer from Na Sung-bum, KIA defeated Lotte 5-2.

In the Daejeon game, which was interrupted for 47 minutes due to a sudden downpour, Hanwha emerged victorious.

After leading 4-0, Hanwha allowed a tie after giving up a two-run homer to Kim Hyung-jun in the 6th inning and another two-run homer to Park Min-woo in the 7th, but they regained the momentum thanks to the performance of rookie Oh Jae-won.

Oh Jae-won delivered a go-ahead RBI triple that pierced the right-center gap in the 8th inning, gifting the team the winning run.

Having defeated NC 6-4, Hanwha finished the first half with a .500 winning percentage.

Doosan defeated SSG 7-0, led by home runs from An Jae-seok and Kang Seung-ho.

The Suwon game between KT and Kiwoom was eventually canceled after two rain delays.

Reported by Bae Jeonghun | Video by Park Jeong-sam | Produced by SBS Digital News