NC rallies late to beat Doosan, evens playoff series in baseball

The NC Dinos rallied to defeat the Doosan Bears 2-1 on Monday to even their South Korean baseball playoff series at one game apiece.

No. 8 hitter Ji Seok-hun lined a game-tying double in the bottom of the eighth and later came around to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch at Masan Stadium, as the Dinos -- after losing 7-0 in Game 1 on Sunday -- got right back into the best-of-five second round playoff series in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Game 3 will move to the Bears' home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

NC starter Zach Stewart threw a complete game, allowing only three hits and striking out eight for the Dinos' first postseason victory at home.

The American right-hander tossed a season-high 122 pitches, 81 of them for strikes, and his only blemish was Oh Jae-won's solo home run in the top of the eighth.

Stewart and Doosan starter Jang Won-jun were locked in a pitchers' duel for the first seven innings. Stewart gave up just two singles through seven, while Jang scattered four hits.

Oh Jae-won then broke the deadlock with one out in the eighth, taking Stewart's first pitch fastball over the center field.

Left-handed reliever Ham Deok-ju took over from Jang in the bottom of the eighth, and trouble ensued for the Bears. Son Si-heon led off the inning with a single, and Ji Seok-hun hit a double down the left field line to bring home pinch runner Choi Jae-won.

Ji moved to third on a sacrifice fly, and came home to make it 2-1 when Ham threw one over his catcher Choi Jae-hoon and toward the backstop.

Stewart stayed on the mound to finish the job. He issued a two-out walk to Min Byung-hun, but Kim Hyun-soo, the Bears' cleanup, flied out to left to end the game.

The Dinos had gone 18 postseason innings without scoring, dating back to last year, before breaking through with a pair of runs in the eighth. They hit into two double plays in the first two innings.

The Dinos will try to make it two in a row on Wednesday with veteran right-hander Son Min-han on the mound. The Bears will send left-hander Yoo Hee-kwan.

Son will be making his 13th postseason appearance, and his fifth with the Dinos. Last year, as the Dinos were knocked out of the first round in four games, Son threw three scoreless innings in relief. For his career, Son is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA in 12 appearances.

Yoo struggled against the Nexen Heroes in the previous series last week, but boasts a 2.16 ERA in 33 1/3 postseason innings in his career. CHANGWON (Yonhap)