SEOUL: Dominican pitcher Denyi Reyes led the Samsung Lions to their first Korean Series appearance in nine years by tossing seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The Lions clinched the series in four games, marking a significant milestone in their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason journey.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Reyes, who had already secured a win in Game 1 by allowing only one earned run over 6 2/3 innings, showcased an even more dominant performance on Saturday. He managed to stifle the Twins’ offense by employing a diverse array of six pitches, yielding only three singles and striking out two batters. His exceptional play earned him the series MVP title, as he garnered 42 out of 55 votes from media members.
Reyes, who threw a season-high 110 pitches, started the day on a rocky note by hitting leadoff batter Hong Chang-ki. However, the Lions’ defense, led by catcher Kang Min-ho, quickly neutralized potential threats. Kang thwarted t
wo attempted steals, while first baseman Lewin Diaz contributed with a notable over-the-shoulder catch.
As the game progressed, Reyes retired 10 consecutive batters through a series of routine pop outs and fly balls. Despite a tense moment in the sixth inning, where a single, a steal, and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on base, Reyes escaped unscathed after inducing a clutch double play.
The tightly contested match was defined by a pitching duel between Reyes and Twins’ starter Dietrich Enns, who struck out eight over six innings. The deadlock was broken in the eighth inning by Kang Min-ho’s solo home run off reliever Son Ju-young. The home run marked Kang’s third career postseason homer and secured his long-awaited first Korean Series appearance after 2,369 regular season games.