The KIA Tigers won by one point over the Samsung Lions and maintained their momentum toward advancing to the postseason.

KIA won 2-1 in the home game against Samsung in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 8th. On this day, KIA, which invited new players for the 2024 season, presented them with victory. KIA, ranked 6th with two consecutive wins, has a season record of 68 wins, 67 losses, and 2 draws.

The game turned into a pitcher's battle. With KIA leading the way with rookie Yoon Young-cheol and Samsung with foreign pitcher Taylor Widener, KIA broke the balance first.

With one out in the fourth inning, Socrates Brito walked, stole second base, and advanced to third base on Lee Woo-sung's infield hit. And it arrived at home when Han Junsu hit a timely hit.

Samsung, which had been tied without scoring a point until the fifth inning due to Yoon Young-cheol, brought the game back to square one in the sixth inning with Ryu Ji-hyuk's double and Kang Min-ho's timely hit.

In the end, the difference between victory and defeat was in the bullpen. KIA, who had been tied up with 6 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run in 7 innings until the 7th inning against Samsung's starting widener, succeeded in getting on base in the 8th inning when leadoff hitter Kim Sun-bin got a hit from replaced pitcher Kim Tae-hoon.

With one out and one on first base, Woo-sung Lee's double and Chang-jin Lee's intentional walk filled all bases, and pinch hitter Tae-gun Kim scored the winning run with a sacrifice fly. On a rather short outfield fly ball, third base pinch runner Choi Jeong-yong boldly dug into the groove.

Jeong Hae-young, who appeared on the mound in the 9th inning, struggled, giving up a hit and a walk, but managed a foul fly to Kim Dong-yeop at first and third bases with two outs and preserved the victory.

Jeong Hae-young, who recorded 20 saves in the season, became the 15th player in KBO League history to achieve 20 saves for three consecutive years.