'Blockbuster': KIA surges to an 8-game winning streak for the first time in 632 days! Lee Ui-ri unleashes a blazing fastball clocked at a top speed of 156 km/h. The manager expresses his joy, saying, "Thank you to the away fans who joined us alongside the players!" [Jamsil On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers dominated the Doosan Bears, launching an unstoppable 8-game winning streak.

On the 17th, at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, KIA secured a 7-3 victory over Doosan in an away regular-season match of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With this win, KIA reached 10 wins (7 losses), overtaking SSG Landers, who had no game that day, to claim sole 4th place. Meanwhile, Doosan finished with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses, failing to escape 9th place in the league.

This victory marked KIA's first 8-game winning streak in 632 days. Their previous 8-game winning streak occurred from the the 14th, 2024, game against Gwangju SSG Landers through the the 24th, 2024, game against Gwangju NC Dinos.

For this game, KIA set its starting lineup in the following order: Dale (shortstop), Kim Ho-ryeong (center field), Kim Sun-bin (second base), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Castro (left field), Park Min (third base), Kim Kyu-sung (first base), Ju Hyo-sang (catcher), and Park Jae-hyun (right field).

The starting pitcher was Lee Ui-ri. Prior to this game, Lee had started 3 games this season, recording 2 losses without a win, with an earned run average (ERA) of 11.42. Over a total of 8⅔ innings, he allowed 13 hits (including 3 home runs), 10 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 11 runs (all earned), posting a WHIP of 2.65 and a batting average against of 0.351. However, in today's game, he delivered a brilliant performance, leading with a fastball clocked at a top speed of 156 km/h, securing his first win of the season.

In response, Doosan set its starting lineup as follows: Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Park Ji-hoon (third base), Park Jun-soon (second base), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Cameron (right field), Yang Seok-hwan (designated hitter), Kang Seung-ho (first base), Lee Yu-chan (left field), and Jo Su-hyeong (center field). Their starting pitcher was foreign ace Jacklog.

KIA rattled Jacklog from the first inning, scoring 3 runs and seizing the early momentum. In the top of the first, after one out, Kim Ho-ryeong reached base with an infield single to the third baseman. Following two outs, Kim Do-young drew a walk. Castro then hit a two-run double that landed just inside the right-field line. Subsequently, Park Min, batting next, hit a sacrifice fly to center-right, extending the lead to 3-0.

Jacklog then regained his composure and effectively shut down the KIA lineup without allowing any additional runs through the sixth inning. He returned to the mound in the seventh, but KIA once again attacked him.

Leadoff batter Park Jae-hyun reached first base with an infield single. After one out, Kim Ho-ryeong drew a walk. Kim Sun-bin then smashed a two-run double to center-right, making the score 5-0.

Doosan immediately responded in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs to narrow the gap. KIA replaced their second pitcher, Lee Taeyang, with Hwang Dong-ha. They also substituted Castro (left field) and Kim Sun-bin (second base) with Park Jung-woo and Jung Hyun-chang, respectively. In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, Park Chan-ho reached base on a straight walk. Park Ji-hoon then recorded a single to left field. Park Jun-soon followed with a sacrifice single to left, and Yang Eui-ji drove him in with a sacrifice fly to right field, making the score 5-2.

Doosan added another run in the eighth inning, putting pressure on KIA. Leadoff batter Son Ah-seop reached base on a fielding error by the opposing shortstop, while Kang Seung-ho struck out. When Lee Yu-chan came to bat, Kim In-tae was inserted as a pinch hitter but was retired on a ground ball to second base. During this sequence, Son Ah-seop advanced to second base.

The next batter was Jo Su-hyeong. Doosan employed another pinch-hitting strategy, bringing in Kim Min-seok. Manager Kim Won-hyung's substitution proved successful. After a full count, Kim Min-seok connected on the seventh pitch, hitting a two-run double that landed just inside the right-field line. Meanwhile, Son Ah-seop, who was on second base, scored. KIA pitching coach Lee Dong-geol then visited the mound to calm the battery. The following batter was Park Chan-ho. Jo Sang-woo induced a fly ball to center field, closing out the eighth inning.

Nevertheless, KIA ultimately added two more runs in the top of the ninth, sealing the victory. With Kim Jeong-woo on the mound, Kim Ho-ryeong reached base on a hit-by-pitch after one out. Following two outs, Kim Do-young hit a two-run double to center-right, and Park Jung-woo drove in a run with a single to left field, extending the lead to 7-3. In the end, KIA secured the team victory by bringing Kim Beom-su onto the mound in the ninth inning.

KIA's Lee Ui-ri earned his first win of the season with a scoreless 5-inning performance, allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 8 batters. He threw a total of 91 pitches. Lee Taeyang (1 inning, 2 hits, 1 strikeout, 0 runs), Hwang Dong-ha (⅓ inning, 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run), Jo Sang-woo (1⅔ innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 1 unearned run), and Kim Beom-su (1 inning, 2 hits, 1 strikeout, 0 runs) followed in succession to protect the team victory. In KIA's 11-hit offense, Kim Ho-ryeong and Kim Sun-bin delivered multi-hit performances.

Conversely, Doosan's starting pitcher Jacklog took the loss, pitching 7 innings, allowing 8 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 5 runs (all earned). He threw a total of 101 pitches. Yang Jae-hoon (1 inning, 1 hit, 0 runs), Kim Jeong-woo (⅔ inning, 2 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 runs), and Yoon Tae-ho (⅓ inning, no hits, no runs) pitched in relief. In Doosan's 12-hit offense, Park Ji-hoon and Yang Eui-ji each recorded 3 hits, while Kang Seung-ho delivered a multi-hit performance.

After the game, 'winning manager' Lee Beom-ho of KIA praised Lee Ui-ri, stating, ""Lee Ui-ri faced several critical moments but managed to pitch 5 scoreless innings, laying the foundation for victory. Ju Hyo-sang's catching was also excellent. Lee Taeyang continued to pitch with great stability, and Jo Sang-woo stepped up in a crisis situation, effectively shutting down 1⅔ innings.""

He continued, ""In the offense, the consecutive sacrifice hits by Castro and Park Min in the top of the first inning helped us seize early momentum. With the need for additional runs, Kim Sun-bin's two-run double, along with RBI hits from Kim Do-young and Park Jung-woo, secured the victory. Park Min's strong defense in the early innings, and Park Jae-hyun and Jung Hyun-chang's excellent defense in the later innings, were major contributions to the team's win. We thank the away fans who supported us alongside the players, and we will prepare well for tomorrow's game.""

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*This content was translated by AI.