2019 Korean Series

The 2019 Korean Series, the 37th Korean Series, featured a sweep by the Doosan Bears but two of the games were won in the bottom of the 9th and one in extra innings.

The Teams

Doosan Bears

The Doosan Bears, managed by Tae-hyeong Kim, made their 5th straight Series, having won in 2015 and 2016 before falling in 2017 and 2018. They paced the 2019 KBO at 88-55-1, tied for the best record. They were 2nd in both runs (736) and fewest runs allowed (550). Josh Lindblom (20-3, 2.50) nearly won a pitching Triple Crown, leading in K (189) and wins and finishing 2nd in ERA a season after he led in that category. Young-ha Lee (17-3, 5.28) tied for 2nd in wins while Myung-june Yoon (6-2, Sv, 2.63), Won-joon Choi (1-2, Sv, 2.65) and Hyoung-beom Lee (1-2, Sv, 2.66) led the relief corps. José Fernandez was their top hitter (.344/.409/.583, 35 2B), finishing 4th in the league in OBP and 2nd in average.

Kiwoom Heroes

The Kiwoom Heroes were in their first Korean Series, though the franchise had been there in 2014 as the Nexen Heroes. Manager Jung-seok Jang's club was 3rd in the regular season at 86-57-1 but only 2 games behind Doosan, then they swept the SK Wyverns out of the playoffs. They had a high-flying offense with 780 runs, most in the league, while they allowed 572, 3rd-fewest. They had the league's top four players in runs scored: Ha-seong Kim (.307/.389/.491, 38 2B, 111 R, 104 RBI, 33 SB, 4 CS, first in runs, tied for 2nd in RBI), Jerry Sands (.305/.396/.543, 100 R, 113 RBI, the most RBI, 2nd in runs and 4th in homers), Byung-ho Park (.280/.398/.560, 33 HR, 98 RBI, the leader in homers, 3rd in runs) and Jung-hoo Lee (.336/.386/.456, 10 3B, 91 R, 4th in average and runs). Jake Brigham (13-5, 2.96) and Eric Jokisch (13-9, 3.13) were their top starting pitchers while a strong bullpen featured Hyun Yang (1-0, 1.99), Ju-won Oh (3-3, 18 Sv, 2.32), Seong-min Kim (2-0, 2.56), Sang-woo Cho (2-4, 20 Sv, 2.66), Young-sam Yoon (3-3, Sv, 2.87), Young-jun Lee (1-1, 2.97) and Sang-su Kim (3-5, 40 H, 3.02).

The Games

• October 22: Bears 7, Heroes 6. Kiwoom got to Lindblom in the 1st when SS Ha-seong Kim singled, stole and scored on a hit by 1B Byung-ho Park. In the 2nd, Doosan took the lead when Jokisch issued a bases-loaded walk to SS Jae-ho Kim then C Si-hyeok Park singled. In the 4th, the Bears mauled the Heroes for four runs; Jokisch left after the inning as he had been hit by the throw from his catcher on a steal attempt. Kiwoom fought back for three in the 6th and two in the 7th to even it at six. In the 9th, though, Ha-seong Kim dropped a fly from RF Kun-woo Park. CF Soo-bin Jung laid down a bunt and made it to first when both Byung-ho Park and P Ju-won Oh delayed going for the ball. With one out, Oh walked LF Jae-hwan Kim to load the bases. 1B Jae-il Oh then singled to center to bring in Kun-woo Park with the winner.
• October 23: Bears 6, Heroes 5. Doosan again staged a winning rally in the bottom of the 9th, this time in comeback fashion. Kiwoom again scored in the first; Keon-chang Seo drew a leadoff walk from Young-ha Lee and RF Sands singled, then CF Jung-hoo Lee's sacrifice fly scored Seo. In the 2nd, they scored again when 2B Hye-seong Kim's sacrifice fly brought in 3B Sang-mun Song, who had been booed heartily for his foul language the day before. Doosan tied it in the 4th when LF Jae-hwan Kim drew a two-out walk from Seung-ho Lee and 1B Jae-il Oh kept up the heroics with a long ball. In the top of the 6th, Kiwoom battered Young-ha Lee as 1B Byung-ho Park doubled home Sands, Song singled in Park and C Ji-young Lee singled home Sands to make it 5-2. Doosan got one back in the bottom of the 8th when DH Fernandez hit into a run-scoring error by Hye-seong Kim. In the bottom of the 9th, Ju-won Oh tried to close it out after yesterday's loss but only lasted two batters as 3B Kyoung-min Hur singled and 2B Jae-won Oh doubled. Hyun-hee Han replaced Ju-won Oh and SS Jae-ho Kim singled to make it 5-3. PH In-tae Kim delivered a sacrifice fly and it was now a one-run game, then Han threw a wild pitch. Kun-woo Park singled in PR Ji-hyuk Ryu with the winner.
• October 25: Bears 5, Heroes 0. Seth Frankoff allowed two hits in 6innings and Yong-chan Lee finished it off with two more hits to avoid the drama of the past two games. Doosan got four in the third, knocking out Brigham in the 4th, and Kiwoom wound up using nine hurlers.
• October 26: Bears 11, Heroes 9. Kiwoom battered Hee-kwan Yoo and Deok-ju Ham for eight runs in the first two innings for a 8-3 lead, but Doosan battled back to take a 9-8 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Geon-chang Seo hit into an error by 3B Hur to score the tying run against Yong-chan Lee. In the 10th, 1B Jae-il Oh once again came up big, doubling in the winning run; LF Jae-hwan Kim provided an insurance single. Jae-il Oh would take Korean Series MVP honors.

Sources

• KBO site
• Korea Times
• Yonhap News Agency