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| Lee Yoo-chan / Photo by Kwon Kwang-il |
Doosan defeated the Kiwoom Heroes 9-7 in the opener of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League exhibition series on the 12th at Icheon Bears Park.
Riding the momentum from last year’s 12 million attendance and the buzz of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the park sold out with 500 fans in attendance.
The Bears kicked off the preseason on a high note in front of a full house.
Doosan’s starting lineup read: Jung Soo-bin (CF) – Park Chan-ho (SS) – Cameron (RF) – Yang Eui-ji (DH) – Ahn Jae-seok (3B) – Yang Seok-hwan (1B) – Oh Myung-jin (2B) – Kim Dae-han (LF) – Kim Ki-yeon (C).
Kiwoom countered with Brooks (1B) – An Chi-hong (DH) – Lim Ji-yeol (LF) – Choi Joo-hwan (3B) – Park Chan-hyeok (RF) – Lim Byung-wook (CF) – Uh Jun-seo (SS) – Kim Keon Hee (C) – Park Han-gyeol (2B).
Doosan starter Flexen worked 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight and not yielding a run. He threw 73 pitches: 50 fastballs, 12 cutters, nine curveballs, one slider and one changeup. His heater topped out at 150 km/h, dipped to 144 km/h and averaged 147 km/h.
At the plate, Jung Soo-bin and Lee Yoo-chan each homered, helping fuel the victory; Kim In-tae and Yang Seok-hwan contributed multi-hit games.
Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min tossed three scoreless innings, surrendering two hits, issuing one walk and striking out three. He threw 50 pitches: 18 fastballs, 15 splitters, 13 sweepers, two sliders and two curveballs. His fastball ranged from 142–146 km/h and averaged 144 km/h.
Kiwoom left plenty of runs on the table. In the top of the first, with one out and nobody on, An Chi-hong battled Flexen to a full count and ripped a double into left-center. Lim Ji-yeol struck out swinging, but Choi Joo-hwan drew a four-pitch walk and Park Chan-hyeok followed with an infield single to load the bases with two outs. Lim Byung-wook then struck out swinging, and Kiwoom left the bases loaded.
Another opportunity slipped away in the second. After one out, Kim Keon Hee drew a walk and Park Han-gyeol ripped a two-bagger to left to put runners in scoring position. Kim Keon Hee tried to score on the play but was tagged out at the plate, leaving two outs and a runner at second. Brooks then popped out to end the threat.
Doosan had chances of their own. In the bottom of the second, with two outs and nobody on, Yang Seok-hwan lined a single and stole second, but Oh Myung-jin struck out looking and Doosan failed to score. In the third, Kim Ki-yeon drew a four-pitch walk and Park Chan-ho followed with a base hit to put two on with two outs, but Doosan again left the runners stranded.
Kiwoom finally broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. With one out, pinch-hitter Chu Jae-hyun lined a hit to left-center off reliever Lee Gyo-hoon. Uh Jun-seo grounded out to short, but pinch-hitter Kim Dong-hyun drew a walk to reload the bases. On Lee Gyo-hoon’s first pitch to Park Han-gyeol — a 138 km/h fastball — Park ripped an RBI single to left and Uh Jun-seo scored from second to make it 1-0 Kiwoom.
Doosan answered in the bottom half. Yang Eui-ji drew a walk off reliever Park Jun-hyun and later advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Yang Seok-hwan followed with an RBI double to tie the game. With one out and a runner at second, Oh Myung-jin delivered an opposite-field single to center that scored Yang Seok-hwan and put Doosan ahead 2-1.
Doosan kept the momentum with power in the fifth. After Kim Ki-yeon flew out to center to open the inning, Jung Soo-bin homered on a 137 km/h fastball from reliever Oh Seok-ju, a solo shot estimated at 125 meters that cleared the right-field wall. Doosan then put runners in scoring position on a Cameron double and a Yang Eui-ji walk but couldn’t add to the lead.
Kiwoom answered in the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, Kim Tae-jin battled to an eight-pitch full count and lined a single up the middle. Yang Hyun-jong followed with an RBI double to center that brought Kim Tae-jin home and cut Doosan’s lead.
Doosan erupted in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Kang Seung-ho ripped a triple to center off reliever Yoon Seok-won. After an infield groundout by Park Gye-beom and a walk to Kim Dae-han left runners at the corners, pinch-hitter Park Ji-hoon delivered an RBI single to center.
The offense didn’t stop. With two outs and runners at first and second, Lee Yoo-chan crushed a three-run homer over the left-field wall to put Doosan firmly in control. A follow-up hit by Kim Joo-o and an RBI double by Kim In-tae set up Ahn Jae-seok’s two-run double to right, clearing the bases. Doosan scored six runs in the sixth and stretched the lead to 9-2.
Kiwoom fought back. In the seventh, walks to Lee Hyung-jong and Kim Ji-seok put runners on first and second with no outs. Joo Sung-won hit a grounder that led to a second-base throwing error, allowing Lee Hyung-jong to score. A subsequent groundout added another run, and Seo Geon-chang’s opposite-field solo shot in the eighth pulled Kiwoom to 9-5.
That’s as close as they would get. Doosan turned the ninth over to closer Park Chi-guk, who allowed a double to Park Soo-jong and RBI hits to Choi Jae-young and Kim Jae-hyun, giving up two runs but holding on to secure a 9-7 victory.
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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