KIA beats NC 7-2 to extend lead over LG in race for third place
In short
KIA Tigers defeated NC Dinos 7-2 in Changwon on October 9, with James Naile pitching seven innings and allowing two runs. Castro hit a three-run homer as KIA stayed third and moved one game ahead of LG Twins, who lost to Lotte.
Read the full story 1 min read
KIA Tigers defeated NC Dinos 7-2 at Changwon NC Park on October 9 to hold third place in the KBO League. With fourth-place LG Twins losing 9-1 to Lotte Giants, KIA widened its lead over LG to one game. The victory was KIA's second consecutive win. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Starting pitcher James Naile worked seven innings and allowed two runs, earning his 13th victory of the season. Newsis reported that he struck out seven and gave up four hits in his final start of the season. Jeon Sang-hyeon (전상현) pitched the final two innings without allowing a run and recorded his third save. [ 4 , 5 , 7 ]
KIA scored first through a Na Seong-beom (나성범) RBI single, but Cheon Jae-hwan (천재환) gave NC the lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Kim Ho-ryeong (김호령) tied the score with an RBI single in the fourth. KIA moved ahead 3-2 in the sixth when a wild pitch allowed Na to score. [ 4 , 5 ]
Kim Seon-bin (김선빈) added an RBI double in the eighth inning. Castro then hit a three-run homer in the ninth to extend the lead to 7-2. Newsis reported that he finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. [ 4 , 5 ]
CBS NoCut News reported that KIA had three regular-season games left while LG had two. It said KIA could secure third place by recording one win, one loss and one draw in those games, giving the club direct entry to the semi-playoffs. The outlet said LG needed to win its October 10 game against Lotte and then await KIA's results. [ 7 ]
Why it matters
The result strengthened KIA's position in the race for third place and direct entry to the semi-playoffs. Reports said KIA had three regular-season games remaining and LG had two.
Key facts
- KIA beat NC 7-2 at Changwon NC Park on October 9. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Naile pitched seven innings, allowed two runs and earned his 13th win. [ 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Castro hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning. [ 4 , 5 ]
- KIA remained third and led fourth-place LG by one game. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The documents disagree on Castro's given name and KIA's season loss total. Most detailed reports use Harold Castro and 62 losses; one later summary uses Carlos Castro, and Hankook Ilbo gives 63 losses.