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(ATTN: ADDS particulars in paras 11th of September, 17)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) — Baseball is again in South Korea, and so are followers within the stands.
The 2022 Korea Baseball Group (KBO) season opened on Saturday with all 10 golf equipment in motion at 5 stadiums throughout the nation. And all ballparks swung their gates open to welcome followers at full capability, the primary time groups have been in a position to take action on Opening Day since 2019.
Groups have spent many of the previous two seasons with out followers within the stands, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place in the course of the international pandemic. With restrictions being step by step eased this yr, the KBO determined to confess spectators at 100% capability in any respect venues from the beginning of the season. Followers are additionally being allowed to devour meals and drinks from their seats, a welcome departure from the earlier two seasons.
The defending champions KT Wiz performed in entrance of the biggest crowd on Saturday, with 17,057 followers watching their house staff beat the Samsung Lions 4-1 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul.
Starter William Cuevas was good over six innings of one-run ball. Oh Yoon-suk got here by with a go-ahead, two-run double within the fourth to erase a 1-0 deficit, and the Wiz added a run apiece within the seventh and eighth to shut out the win.
Somewhat over 8,500 followers virtually witnessed historical past at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The visiting SSG Landers beat the house staff NC Dinos 4-0 in 10 innings, behind 9 excellent innings by starter Wilmer Font.
Font retired all 27 batters he confronted and struck out 9. The Landers scored 4 occasions within the prime of the tenth, however Font did not come again out for the underside half of that inning and settled for his first win of the season as an alternative of going for an ideal sport
The KBO, based in 1982, has by no means had an ideal sport.
Font touched 153 kilometers per hour together with his four-seam fastballs, whereas mixing in 11 sliders, 11 curveballs, two splitters and one two-seam fastball.
Font mentioned afterward he needed to take the ball once more for the tenth however his physique did not permit it after 104 pitches.
Font hadn’t touched the century mark in pitch depend in any spring coaching scrimmages or exhibition video games final month.
The one different shutout got here from Gwangju-Kia Champions Subject in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of the capital. The LG Twins blanked the house staff Kia Tigers 9-0, with Adam Plutko tossing six scoreless innings for the Twins’ fourth consecutive Opening Day win. The sport drew 16,742 followers.
The Tigers have not received on the primary day of a season since 2017. Their starter Yang Hyeon-jong, marking his return from a one-year stint with the Texas Rangers, took the loss after giving up 4 runs — all unearned — on three hits in six innings. Yang is now winless after 5 Opening Day begins.
The Doosan Bears bought previous the Hanwha Eagles 6-4 at house, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, with 16,271 followers readily available. Starter Robert Inventory picked up his first KBO victory, and Yang Suk-hwan hit the league’s first house run of 2022 within the second inning.
Yang and Kim In-tae every had two RBIs within the win.
At Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the visiting Lotte Giants pounded the Kiwoom Heroes 7-2. Leadoff man Park Seung-wook went 2-for-5 and had a go-ahead double within the fifth, and the Giants went off for 5 runs within the prime of the eighth.
With 8,257 followers in attendance, former Nationwide League All-Star Yasiel Puig reached base 3 times for the Heroes in his much-anticipated KBO debut. He singled in his first at-bat and drew a pair of walks.
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