The NC Dinos finished their four-game series against the KIA Tigers with two wins and two losses in their highest-scoring game of the season.
NC won 18-3 in the 14th game of the regular season against the KIA Tigers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at NC Park in Changwon on April 28. It was the league’s highest-scoring win this season.
NC finished the four-game series with a 2-2 record, including a doubleheader against KIA. The team reached the 70-win plateau for the season (57 L, 2 T). The team reached the 70-win mark for the first time in three years after winning the 2020 regular season title (83 W, 55 L, 6 D).
KIA, on the other hand, was unable to continue its upward trend and finished with 63 wins, 63 losses and two draws. They are now three games behind seventh-place Lotte. Fifth-place SSG also lost to Kiwoom on the day to stay in the hunt.
KIA’s starting lineup was Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Lee Chang-jin (left fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Socrates (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (center fielder), Lee Woo-sung (designated hitter), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), Byun Woo-hyuk (first baseman), and Kim Ho-ryung (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Thomas Panoni.
NC’s starting lineup was Son Asub (designated hitter), Park Min-woo (second base), Park Geon-woo (right field), Martin (center field), Kwon Hee-dong (left field), Oh Young-soo (first base), Seo Ho-cheol (third base), Ahn Jung-yeol (catcher), and Kim Han-byul (shortstop).
There were signs of trouble in the first inning. With the bases loaded in the top of the first, Lee Chang-jin pulled a 138-kilometer fastball from Choi Sung-young for a solo shot to left field. His third homer of the season.
However, NC immediately balanced the score. NC actually had a chance for a big inning, but there was an unfortunate infield play. In the first inning, Son As-seob hit a double over the right field fence. He became the second player in history to reach 2400 hits after 안전놀이터 Park Yong-taek. Park Min-woo followed with a single to right to put runners on first and third. Park grounded out to second base, but Son As-seob, the runner at third, was thrown out at home. It was a reckless play, but Martin followed with a single to left to tie the game at 1-1.
In the top of the second inning, KIA had runners on first and second after Kim Tae-gun singled and Kim Ho-ryung walked. Park Chan-ho lined a single to left to regain the lead, but Kim was thrown out at second base to end the inning. Kim Tae-gun’s slow run did not lead to a run.