Published : Oct. 25, 2012 - 21:23
DAEGU (Yonhap News) -- The Samsung Lions defeated the SK Wyverns 8-3 here Thursday to take the 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven South Korean professional baseball final.
In Game 2 of the Korean Series at Daegu Baseball Stadium, Choi Hyung-woo hit a grand slam in the Lions' six-run third inning and starter Jang Won-sam pitched six strong innings, as the defending Korea Baseball Organization champs got a step closer to their second straight crown.
Samsung Lions players celebrate after beating SK Wyverns 8-3 to take the 2-0 series lead in the Korean Series at Daegu Baseball Stadium on Thursday. (Yonhap News)
The Lions and the Wyverns also squared off in the past two Korean Series, with Samsung winning last year and SK prevailing in 2010. The Lions are seeking their sixth title overall, while the Wyverns are chasing their fourth championship.
The series will shift to SK's home, Munhak Stadium, in Incheon, just west of Seoul, for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend games will start at 2 p.m.
The Lions batted around in the bottom third, scoring six times off SK starter Mario Santiago to blow open the scoreless affair.
Bae Young-seob put the Lions up 2-0 with a one-out double.
Santiago then struck out Jung Hyeong-sik but walked the next two batters to load the bases.
Choi then drove a high changeup over the right-center field wall to make it 6-0. It was only the third grand slam ever hit in the Korean Series in the KBO's 30-year history.
Samsung's starter Jang Won-sam got out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the top first, and then retired 15 of the next 16 batters before handing things over to the bullpen.
SK's leadoff man Jeong Keun-woo hit a solo home run in the sixth but the Lions put the game further out of reach with two more runs in the seventh.
The Wyverns scored twice in the eighth on a wild pitch and a groundout but couldn't get any closer on this night.
Jang struck out seven over six innings while giving up only two hits and a run for the win. Santiago took the loss after lasting only 2 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on four hits and two walks.
Bae Young-seob, a second-year leadoff man for Samsung, went
2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and three runs batted in. For SK, Jeong Keun-woo had two hits and scored twice in the losing effort.