Baseball
Baseball
Lee Jae-hyun’s Comeback Homer Lifts Samsung in Nail-Biting Win Over Kiwoom
Lee Jae-hyun’s Comeback Homer Lifts Samsung in Nail-Biting Win Over Kiwoom
Samsung Lions secured a hard-fought 8-6 victory against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome on May 21, 2026, with Lee Jae-hyun’s game-winning solo home run marking his return to the lineup after 38 days. The win maintained Samsung’s hold on first place and snapped Kiwoom’s four-game winning streak.
The Lions initially built a commanding 6-0 lead by the fifth inning, starting with a four-run first frame. Kim Ji-chan led off with a single, followed by Kim Sung-yoon’s bunt, which, coupled with a throwing error, put runners on second and third. Koo Ja-wook’s hit drove in both, and an RBI single from Diaz and a groundout by Ryu Ji-hyuk extended the early advantage. Ryu Ji-hyuk then hit an RBI triple and Kim Young-woong added an RBI single in the fifth, pushing the score to 6-0.
However, Kiwoom staged a fierce comeback. In the fifth, a solo homer by Kim Woong-bin, an error by Lee Jae-hyun on a potential double-play ball allowing a run, and a two-run homer by Matt Davidson quickly cut Samsung’s lead to 6-4. Kiwoom then tied the game 6-6 in the seventh, capitalizing on a sacrifice fly from Davidson and a fielding error by third baseman Kim Young-woong.
With the game deadlocked in the eighth, Lee Jae-hyun, playing his first game since a lumbar injury on April 13, stepped up as the leadoff hitter and launched a 130-meter solo shot off Park Jung-hoon, giving Samsung a 7-6 lead. Samsung added an insurance run in the ninth on Kim Young-woong’s sacrifice fly. Despite a ninth-inning rally attempt by Kiwoom, Samsung closer Kim Jae-yoon held on, securing the tense 8-6 win. Kim Sung-yoon also contributed significantly with four hits and impressive defensive plays, including a sliding catch in the fourth inning.
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