The Kia Tigers beat the Samsung Lions 8-3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Korean Series on Wednesday, moving a step closer to their first South Korean baseball title in seven years.

The Tigers ambushed Lions starter Hwang Dong-jae for five runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul, while Kim Do-yeong, coming off an MVP-worthy regular season, slugged a solo home run in the bottom second.

Yang Hyeon-jong, the 2017 Korean Series MVP for the Tigers, scattered eight hits across 5 2/3 innings and gave up two runs for his second career postseason victory in front of a sellout crowd of 19,300.

Game 2 began about an hour after the completion of the suspended Game 1, which the Tigers won 5-1. That game started Monday but was put on hold due to rain with the Lions leading 1-0 in the top of the sixth. The Tigers scored four times in the seventh and once more in the eighth to take the opener, and rode that wave to claim the second g
ame, too.

The best-of-seven series will now move to the Lions’ home, Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday.

The Tigers will host Games 5, 6 and 7 from next Monday to Wednesday, if the series goes that far.

This is the 42nd edition of the Korean Series, and a team won the first two games on 20 previous occasions. Only the 2007 SK Wyverns and 2013 Lions have overcome a 2-0 deficit to capture the Korean Series title.

Source: Yonhap News Agency