Kim Do-yeong Homers Twice as KIA Takes KBO Semi-Playoff Opener

Kim Do-yeong hit two home runs and drove in four runs as the KIA Tigers beat the LG Twins 5-1 in Game 1 of the KBO semi-playoff on Saturday, October 17, at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field.

The third baseman supplied every KIA run after Harold Castro’s tying home run, turning a 1-1 game into a convincing postseason opener. James Naile protected the lead with seven strong innings, holding LG to one run on four hits while striking out six.

Kim Do-yeong takes over after early home-run exchange

LG struck first when Song Chan-eui led off the second inning with a solo home run. KIA answered in the bottom half through Castro, whose solo shot tied the game against Anders Tolhurst.

Kim then put KIA ahead for good with a solo homer in the fourth. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, bringing home Park Jae-hyun after an LG error helped create the opportunity.

The decisive swing came in the eighth. With one runner aboard, Kim launched his second home run of the night to stretch the lead to 5-1. He finished 2-for-3 with two homers, four RBIs, a sacrifice fly and a walk.

Naile gives KIA seven innings

Naile worked seven innings on 92 pitches, allowing four hits and two walks. The only damage against him was Song’s second-inning homer.

LG threatened after Naile left, but Jeon Sang-hyun recorded the final four outs for the save. Tolhurst took the loss after allowing two runs over five innings, with both KIA homers against him coming from Castro and Kim.

KIA collected eight hits and played through one defensive error. LG finished with seven hits but committed two errors, and its offense did not score again after Song’s early home run.

The result gives KIA a 1-0 lead in the semi-playoff and puts immediate pressure on LG. For Kim, it was another defining moment in a season already marked by power: five days earlier, he became the youngest player in KBO history to reach 100 career home runs.