Lions beat Bears in extra innings to end 7-game losing streak

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Lions beat Bears in extra innings to end 7-game losing streak

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- The Samsung Lions squeezed past the Doosan Bears 5-4 in extra innings Tuesday to snap their seven-game losing streak in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

The Lions blew a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, before Kim Seong-yoon, playing for the first time since April 4 after recovering from an oblique injury, came through with a go-ahead single in the top 10th.

Kim stole second and scored the team's fifth run on Choi Hyoung-woo's follow-up single.

The Bears scored once in the bottom 10th but ended up stranding two runners.

The Lions couldn't make a winner out of their starter Ariel Jurado, who fired seven scoreless innings and struck out his season-high seven batters.

Kim Seong-yoon of the Samsung Lions celebrates after hitting an RBI double against the Doosan Bears during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 28, 2026. (Yonhap)

Jurado has now pitched at least seven innings in three straight starts. All six of his starts this year have been quality starts -- an outing in which a starter goes at least six innings and allows three or fewer earned runs.

The Lions improved to 13-11-1 (wins-losses-ties), and the Bears dropped to 10-15-1 despite outhitting the Lions 14-9.

The teams traded zeroes for the first three innings, with Jurado and his counterpart, Gwak Been, both looking sharp.

Gwak blinked first in the top of the fourth inning, as the Lions got to him for two runs.

Kim Seong-yoon drew a four-pitch walk and advanced to third on a follow-up single by Choi Hyoung-woo. Choi himself took second base when right fielder Daz Cameron bounced a throw to third baseman Im Jong-sung.

Lewin Diaz brought in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to right field, with Choi moving to third on the play. Ryu Ji-hyuk then brought Choi home with a single up the middle for a 2-0 Lions lead.

Samsung Lions starter Ariel Jurado pitches against the Doosan Bears during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 28, 2026. (Yonhap)

The Lions gave their Panamanian starter some more breathing room in the top fifth with Kim Seong-yoon's two-out RBI double that went off the tip of left fielder Kim Min-suk's glove.

The Bears threatened in the fifth, with a pair of singles putting runners at the corners for Park Chan-ho, who ended up grounding out to shortstop after a five-pitch battle.

Jurado pitched two more scoreless innings before handing the reins to the bullpen to begin the eighth.

And the bullpen nearly frittered away the lead that inning.

Baek Jung-hyun allowed two straight singles and got the hook without recording an out, and the next pitcher, Kim Tae-hoon, walked Cameron to load the bases.

With the heart of the order coming up, Kim cleaned up his own mess by getting two straight infield pop-ups and a flyout -- with Kim Seong-yoon using his speed to chase down the ball to the warning track on the last out.

The bullpen finally collapsed in the ninth, though.

Yura Miyaji allowed a single and a walk against the first two batters he faced. Lee Seung-min took over and struck out pinch hitter Son Ah-seop, but then walked Jung Soo-bin to load the bases.

Park Chan-ho came through this time with an infield single to make it 3-1. And facing new pitcher Kim Jae-yoon, Cameron, who had a .045 batting average with runners in scoring position before Tuesday, tied the game at 3-3 with a single to left.

The Bears couldn't cash in the winning run at second, and the Lions made them pay with the two runs in the top 10th.

The Lions' bullpen wasn't done making a mess of the game, with Lee Seung-hyun surrendering an RBI single to Lee Yu-chan in the bottom 10th that cut the lead to 5-4.

Lee gave up another single to put the winning run at first before getting Park Chan-ho to pop out for the Lions' first win since April 18.

Ryu Ji-hyuk of the Samsung Lions (L) celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Doosan Bears during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 28, 2026. (Yonhap)