(LEAD) Speedy, opportunistic Bears rally past Heroes in KBO showdown

▲ Heo Kyoung-min of the Doosan Bears hits an RBI single against the Kiwoom Heroes during the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 11, 2023, in this photo provided by the Bears. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Lee Yu-chan of the Doosan Bears heads to first after hitting a single against the Kiwoom Heroes during the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 11, 2023, in this photo provided by the Bears. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Yang Eui-ji of the Doosan Bears celebrates his two-run double against the Kiwoom Heroes during the bottom of the seventh inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 11, 2023, in this photo provided by the Bears. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) baseball-game

(LEAD) Speedy, opportunistic Bears rally past Heroes in KBO showdown

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By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- Before hosting the Kiwoom Heroes on this cool Tuesday night, Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yuop spoke of the importance of making opponents "feel uncomfortable" on base paths by stealing bases, or even just threatening to do so.

Lee's players clearly got the message and then some, as they put their speed on full display in a 6-4 victory at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The Bears improved to 6-3 for the season, while the Heroes dropped their fifth straight game and sit 3-6 in the early going.

No. 2 hitter Heo Kyoung-min stole two bags, scored twice and drove in a run, while Lee Yu-chan had a steal and a run from the No. 9 spot in the come-from-behind win.

With the Bears down 3-1 in the bottom fifth, Lee and Heo caused havoc with their legs.

Lee led off the inning with a single and stole second base. As catcher Lee Ji-young's throw skipped into the center field, the runner alertly took third base.

Two batters later, Heo drove Lee home with a single.

Heo then got in on the act himself, stealing second for the second time in the game. Cleanup Kim Jae-hwan then cashed in Heo to knot the game at 3-3.

"It's been a while since I last stole two bases in a game, and I am not really that fast," said Heo, whose last two-steal game came on Sept. 19, 2015. His career high for steals in a season is 20 from 2018. "I will just try to take it one bag at a time and see how many steals I have at the end of the season."

The Bears didn't need steals to take the lead in the seventh. After three straight singles at one out loaded the bases, Yang Eui-ji delivered a two-run double off reliever Moon Sung-hyun for a 5-3 Bears lead.

Another run scored on Moon's wild pitch.

"With runners on base, I just tried to make solid contact," Yang said. "Luckily, I got a good pitch to hit and knocked in those two runs."

The Heroes scored the game's first run in the top of the first. Kim Hye-seong led off the game with a single, stole second and reached third on a flyout. Kim then came home on Lee Jung-hoo's groundout to second.

The Heroes doubled the lead with Kim Whee-jip's solo home run off starter Choi Seung-yong in the second inning. It was Kim's first home run of the season and only the second home run for the entire Heroes team this year.

The Bears cut the deficit in half thanks to Song Seung-hwan's RBI double in the bottom second.

The Heroes restored their two-run lead in the top fifth, when Kim Hye-seong singled home Kim Whee-jip, who'd hit a one-out double and advanced to third on a flyout.

But after losing their lead, the Heroes only got one run back on Kim Hye-seong's infield single in the ninth.

The Heroes put tying runs aboard with two outs later in the ninth, but Lee Jung-hoo flied out to right to extend his team's losing skid to five.

Bears manager Lee said Yang's clutch double made the difference but also gave kudos to his speedsters.

"The veteran that he is, Yang Eui-ji didn't try to do too much in that situation and got those key RBIs for us," Lee said. "Heo Kyoung-min and Lee Yu-chan were aggressive on the bases, and we played airtight defense as well."

Neither starter factored into a decision. Bears starter Choi Seung-yong gave up three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, improving on his season debut last Wednesday when he was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in only 1 2/3 innings.

Heroes starter Choi Won-tae went five innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out four. He remained 1-0 for the season.

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