Doosan Bears edge out SK Wyverns to pull even in Korean Series

INCHEON, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) — The Doosan Bears defeated the SK Wyverns 2-1 to knot the Korean Series at two games apiece on Friday.

Jung Soo-bin launched a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, west of Seoul, and starter Josh Lindblom struck out 10 in seven dominant innings for the Bears.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship series is back at SK Happy Dream Park at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Bears are going for their third title in four years, while the Wyverns are seeking their first championship since 2010.

Jung Soo-bin of the Doosan Bears celebrates his two-run home run off Angel Sanchez of the SK Wyverns in the top of the eighth inning of Game 4 of the Korean Series at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on Nov. 9, 2018. (Yonhap)

The Wyverns drew the first blood in the third inning. Kim Sung-hyun drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Kim Kang-min then found the hole on the right side for a soft single, and Kim Sung-hyun scored easily from second for a 1-0 lead.

Lindblom, who had four strikeouts in the first two innings, suddenly looked shaky. He walked Han Dong-min and then hit Choi Jeong to load the bases for Jamie Romak.

But Lindblom regrouped and fanned the slugger on a 3-2 cutter. Park Jung-kwon, who homered off Lindblom in Game 1, went down swinging on a curve for the inning’s final out.

The Bears’ offense wasn’t helping Lindblom. They had a base runner in five of the first six innings against SK starter Kim Kwang-hyun and came up empty each time.

Josh Lindblom of the Doosan Bears points to third baseman Heo Kyoung-min after Heo’s diving grab against the SK Wyverns in the bottom of the second inning Game 4 of the Korean Series at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on Nov. 9, 2018. (Yonhap)

The Bears had men at second and third with two outs in the first, when Kim Jae-ho flied out to shallow right. In the third inning, they had two straight singles with two outs, before Yang Eui-ji struck out swinging.

In the fourth, Park Kun-woo ended his 0-for-13 slide with a single but was caught stealing second base.

Choi Joo-hwan led off the sixth with a single but was promptly erased when Yang grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

But the bats woke up once Kim Kwang-hyun left the game after the sixth.

Reliever Angel Sanchez worked a clean seventh, but trouble loomed in the eighth after giving up a leadoff single to Baek Min-gi.

Two batters later, Jung Soo-bin, the 2015 Korean Series MVP for the Bears, turned on a fastball and drove it just over the right field wall for a two-run homer, putting the Bears on top 2-1.

Save for the third inning, Lindblom was nearly unhittable. He allowed a leadoff single to Lee Jae-won in the fourth, but that was the last base runner for the Wyverns against Lindblom, who retired his final 12 batters in order.

Closer Ham Deok-ju slammed the door shut over the final two innings for the save, striking out three batters in the process.

Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyung said he was glad his players finally played like themselves.

“This was obviously a huge game for us, and I believe we’ll be able to keep up this momentum,” Kim said. “We made some key defensive plays. Both teams had trouble scoring, and so I figured it’d take one big hit to really make a difference. And Soo-bin came through for us.”