(LEAD) Bears beat Dinos 5-4 to even Korean Series behind home runs, lucky bounces

▲ Chris Flexen of the Doosan Bears pitches against the NC Dinos in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)

▲ Doosan Bears players celebrate their 5-4 victory over the NC Dinos in Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)

▲ Park Sei-hyok of the Doosan Bears (L) tags out Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos at home plate in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)

▲ Park Kun-woo of the Doosan Bears (L) reaches first base safely on a throwing error by NC Dinos' third baseman Park Sok-min in the top of the second inning of Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)

▲ Kim Jae-ho of the Doosan Bears celebrates his solo home run against the NC Dinos in the top of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)

(LEAD Korean Series-Game 2

(LEAD) Bears beat Dinos 5-4 to even Korean Series behind home runs, lucky bounces

(ATTN: ADDS comments throughout, photo)

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jae-ho smacked his first career postseason home run and delivered an RBI single, helping the Doosan Bears beat the NC Dinos 5-4 to even the Korean Series at one game apiece.

Playing in his 79th postseason game, Kim blasted a solo home run off NC starter Koo Chang-mo in the top of the fourth inning at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Doosan starter Chris Flexen earned his first Korean Series victory after holding the Dinos to one run over six solid innings. He scattered five hits while striking out three and walking three.

The Bears walked a tightrope in the bottom ninth and survived a three-run rally by the Dinos.

Game 3 is back at the dome at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The Bears scored twice in the top second with a couple of grounders against Koo. With runners at first and second, Park Kun-woo hit a slow roller to third baseman Park Sok-min, who charged hard to field it but had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. Park then made a low throw that skipped past first baseman Kang Jin-sung, and Kim Jae-ho scored from second.

Heo Kyoung-min, the next batter, hit a soft grounder to shortstop No Jin-hyuk, whose only play was at first base. Jose Miguel Fernandez came home to put the Bears ahead 2-0.

The Dinos cut the deficit in half in the bottom second thanks to Kwon Hui-dong's RBI single, but missed out on a bases-loaded opportunity later that same inning.

Flexen walked Aaron Altherr to put three men on, but Kang Jin-sung, swinging on the first-pitch cutter, grounded into a 5-3 double play.

Third baseman Heo Kyoung-min fielded the ball and stepped on the bag nearly at the same time, and threw to first to complete the twin killing.

The Bears went up 3-1 in the top fourth, as Kim Jae-ho drilled a first-pitch fastball from Koo and deposited into left field seats for a solo homer.

The Dinos tried to get something cooking in the bottom fourth, but couldn't score after loading the bases with one out.

Altherr stepped up with the bases full, and then sent a flyball to right field for what appeared to be a sacrifice fly.

But right fielder Park Kun-woo one-hopped a perfect throw to catcher Park Sei-hyok, who then tagged out Yang Eui-ji on the hand a split second before the runner could reach the plate.

The Dinos had a runner on in four of the first five innings, but they hit into five double plays, one of them more peculiar than the others.

In the bottom sixth, with Yang Eui-ji at second, Park Sok-min drilled a line drive off Flexen's leg. The ball hung in the air and landed in the glove of first baseman Oh Jae-il for the first out. Yang had already reached third by the time Oh threw to second to complete a highly unusual double play.

Flexen sustained bruising to his right knee and left arm on the play.

The Bears took a 4-1 lead on Kim Jae-ho's single in the eighth, and Jose Miguel Fernandez, who grounded into two double plays in Game 1 loss, joined the party with a solo home run in the ninth.

Those runs loomed large, as the Dinos made things interesting against closer Lee Young-ha in the bottom ninth. With the bases loaded, Altherr drove in one run with a single. The bases were still full when Kang knocked a single to left to make it 5-4.

The hit chased Lee from the game, and new reliever Kim Min-gyu put out the fire by getting the final two outs.

Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyoung thanked his lucky stars for all of those bounces and double plays.

"You may call it fortunate, but we certainly had a lot of plays go our way in some key situations," Kim said. "(Right fielder) Park Kun-woo made that great throw in the fourth, and those things added up to help us win this game."

Koo took the loss for the Dinos after giving up three runs -- one unearned -- on seven hits and two walks in six innings.

NC manager Lee Dong-wook said he was mostly pleased with Koo's performance. The lefty had missed three months of action in the second half of the regular season, and there were lingering question marks about his durability.

"He had some trouble with his control in the first couple of innings, but he settled down after that," Lee said. "At least he gave us six innings. Even though he gave up that home run to Kim Jae-ho, he was pretty solid."

As for those double plays and tough bounces, Lee said he wasn't going to lose sleep over things that were out of his control.

"When hard-hit balls went right at fielders, there was nothing we could do about it," Lee said. "I told the guys we'd have our chance. And we did in the bottom ninth. Our players never lost their focus until the very end, and I am grateful for that. I think we should be able to build on that ninth inning in Game 3."


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