MVP candidate leads onslaught, 2-time champ solid on mound for Tigers in Korean Series win

In a Kia Tigers lineup full of smart hitters and mashers, Kim Do-yeong stood out Wednesday night with his first career Korean Series home run.

Kim, the leading regular-season MVP candidate in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), smacked a solo homer as part of a two-RBI night in the Tigers’ 8-3 win over the Samsung Lions in Game 2 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

Kim had a small hand in the Tigers’ five-run outburst in the bottom of the first, as his RBI groundout gave the Tigers their first run of the game.

Then in the bottom second, Kim launched a solo home run off reliever Lee Seung-min, drilling an outside fastball and sending it 115 meters into the seats in right field.

Kim, a third-year pro, enjoyed one of the most productive regular seasons in KBO history this year. He had 38 homers and 40 steals, falling just two dingers shy of just the second 40-40 season ever in the KBO. Kim also posted a robust .347/.420/.647 line and set a single-season record with 143 runs scored.

And playing in the Korean Series for the first time, the 21-year-old has shown no signs of nerves over the first two games.

“I am just happy to win these two games in front of our fans,” Kim said at his postgame press conference. “I hit the home run when we already had a big lead, but I still thought it was a pretty important one. And the fact that it was my Korean Series homer really got me pumped up.”

Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho said he felt Kim’s RBI groundout off starter Hwang Dong-jae for the game’s first run was even more important than Kim’s home run, because it showed that one of his biggest stars was willing to hit into a productive out instead of trying to swing big with runners aboard.

Kim stepped in with runners at first and second, but they advanced to second and third on a throwing error by catcher Kang Min-ho. Kim said he even tried to put down a bunt to move the runners over.

“Luckily, we had runners at second and third, and we had practiced hitting to the right side in that situation,” Kim said. “I consciously tried to hit one to that side, and it worked out well.”

Kim said having multiple delays to the start of the Korean Series — Game 1 was suspended Monday night and was only completed Wednesday afternoon — left a sour taste in his mouth. He kept wondering how he would’ve been able to perform if the weather had held up.

“I came to the park today feeling more determined than ever,” Kim said. “The weather was good, and I think it was just a perfect day. I had a lot of confidence and I think that led to good results.”

Before Monday’s game, Kim had said he tried to go to sleep earlier than usual the previous night, and he ended up tossing and turning for a few hours. For the past two nights, Kim went back to his regular sleeping schedule.

“I felt great this morning,” Kim said with a smile. “I’ve been sticking to my usual routines, but paying just a bit more attention to them.”

Kim and Co. in the lineup backed a solid start by Yang Hyeon-jong, the 2017 Korean Series MVP for the Tigers now going for his third career title.

Yang, 36, made his sixth Korean Series appearance Wednesday. He allowed at least a baserunner in each of the first four frames and scattered eight hits, somehow keeping the damage to just two runs across 5 1/3 innings.

At 36 years, seven months and 22 days, Yang became the oldest South Korean pitcher to win a Korean Series start.

“I think the ‘oldest’ label sounds weird next to my name. I still feel like I am 27,” Yang said with a smile. “I guess time really flies. But I want to keep pitching.”

He loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the top of the third, before retiring Kim Young-woong on a flyout.

Yang allowed his first run of the game due to his own miscue in the top fourth. With Ryu Ji-hyuk at first, Yang dropped a toss from first baseman Lee Woo-sung while covering the bag following a Kim Hyeon-joon grounder. Ryu sprinted home on the play, with Yang getting charged with an error.

Yang gave up a single to the next batter but got Kim Hun-gon to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Yang pitched his only clean inning in the fifth, punctuating it by striking out Kim Young-woong on a slider.

Yang was lifted with one out in the sixth, after giving up his second run of the night on a double, a walk and a single. But relievers Lee Jun-young and Jang Hyun-sik each retired a batter to end the inning and close the book on Yang.

He threw 86 pitches, with 56 strikes. He offered 52 four-seam fastballs, 24 sliders, eight changeups and two curveballs.

On his heavy fastball usage, Yang said he wanted to challenge aggressive Lions hitters.

“I figured they would come out swinging, and I didn’t want to get around them,” he said. “During my warmup and after my first pitch, I felt I had an extra zip on my fastball. And I was confident I wasn’t going to give up big hits if I can go after them with fastballs. It helped keep my pitch count low through four innings, and things worked out pretty well.”

This was Yang’s first Korean Series start since Game 2 of the 2017 series. Yang tossed a complete game shutout then, holding the Doosan Bears to four hits while striking out 11 in a 1-0 win. The Tigers evened the series at 1-1 with that victory and went on to take the next three games for their 11th Korean Series championship.

Asked if chilly conditions affected his performance, Yang said: “A lot of pitchers would love to throw this time of year. The weather had no bearing whatsoever.”

Yang, whose Korean Series debut came in 2009 at age 21, marveled at how composed his young, 20-something teammates have been this week.

“I don’t think these guys get nervous at all,” Yang said, turning to Kim on the podium. “When I was their age, I was trying to do whatever it took to shake off jitters. But I think kids these days try to enjoy the experience. They are not overwhelmed by the moment, and I am envious of those guys.”

In response, Kim said he is honored to play defense behind a seasoned veteran like Yang.

“This was my first time watching him pitch in a Korean Series game in person, and I was shocked how sharp he was,” Kim said. “I feel like we can win every time he starts.”

In his pregame press conference, Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho said it would be “the best-case scenario” if Yang could pitch Wednesday as well as he did in 2017, before adding that it would be difficult for Yang to match that performance.

Lee was not throwing shade on Yang but was merely being realistic, considering Yang’s advanced age and up-and-down stretch following the 2017 championship season. Lee said he hoped for five or six innings of decent work from Yang and for some big hits from his lineup.

Lee got exactly that, with Kim leading the big offensive night and Yang holding his own on the mound.