The defending champion Kia Tigers pulled off a thrilling comeback to secure their first win of the season.
Kia won 9-2 against the NC Dinos in the opening game of the 2025 professional baseball season held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 22nd. Ace James Neale pitched five scoreless innings. The eighth inning was hot. After Na Sung-beom hit a game-tying timely hit, Choi Hyung-woo hit a go-ahead two-RBI double, and Kim Sun-bin followed with another two-RBI timely hit. Han Jun-soo hit a decisive three-run homer.
NC's lineup consisted of Park Min-woo (second baseman), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Son Ah-seop (right fielder), Davidson (designated hitter), Park Gun-woo (center fielder), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Do Tae-hoon (first baseman), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), and Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman). Left-handed pitcher Logan Allen started.
Kia's lineup featured Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Patrick Wisdom (first baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Lee Woo-sung (left fielder), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Choi Won-jun (center fielder). The starting pitcher was ace James Neale.
In a tight pitcher's duel, Kia succeeded in scoring in the bottom of the second inning with two outs. 2024 Korea Series MVP Kim Sun-bin broke the ice with a hit rolling in front of the center fielder. Lee Woo-sung followed up with a center field hit, and Kim Tae-gun hit a timely hit in front of the left fielder after an intense 10-pitch battle, bringing Kim Sun-bin home. This was the first score for both teams.
In the bottom of the third, an emergency occurred for Kia. After one out, Kim Do-young hit a ball past the third baseman. After touching first base and heading towards second, he complained of pain in his left thigh and was substituted out. Following an examination, he was diagnosed with a thigh muscle injury. Although further evaluations are planned, the loss of a key player who dominated the KBO League last year and led the team to victory became unavoidable.
Neale showcased a dominant performance with pitches that included a flying-saucer-like sweeper, two-seam fastball, changeup, and curveball, not allowing a single runner to score through five innings. It was a magnificent outing with five innings pitched, two hits allowed, one walk, and five strikeouts, maintaining a scoreless game. He proved his status as the undisputed ace right from the opening game and did not return to the mound after the sixth inning.
NC's Logan also displayed the prowess of a number one starter. With sharp sliders, cutters, changeups, curves, and precise control, along with clever pitching utilizing the pitching plate, he managed to handle the Kia batters. He pitched impressively through six innings, allowing four hits, one walk, five strikeouts, and one run. He effectively maintained the tension in the game, fulfilling his role well, responding to Logan's excellent performance.
In the top of the sixth, as Neale was taken out, Kim Joo-won broke the ice with a center field hit against Kwak Do-kyu after one out. Son Ah-seop secured a walk. Kia urgently brought in Jo Sang-woo, but Davidson also drew a walk, loading the bases. Park Gun-woo, who has the highest career batting average among active players, hit a double off the left wall to successfully complete the comeback, taking a 2-1 lead.
Kwon Hee-dong drew another walk, continuing the one-out, bases-loaded opportunity. Choi Ji-min, who came in at a critical moment, struck out substitute Chun Jae-hwan and Kim Hyung-jun consecutively, overcoming the crisis. Choi Ji-min also held the game scoreless in the seventh, allowing only one hit. With an impressive pitch, he recorded five outs, keeping the contest close with a one-point lead.
NC held onto a one-point lead as Kim Tae-gyeong kept the score at zero in the seventh inning. The turning point was Kia's offense in the eighth. When Jeon Sa-min came on, Choi Won-jun reached base with a right field hit, and Park Chan-ho drew a walk, seizing a no-out opportunity with runners on first and second. Hong Jong-pyo, after a failed bunt, was out on a fly ball to the left fielder, but Na Sung-beom succeeded in leveling the score with a timely hit to center field.
With the continuation of runners on first and third, Wisdom drew a walk, loading the bases. As NC's Kim Jae-yeol came in to relieve, Choi Hyung-woo succeeded in a go-ahead two-RBI double that went over the center fielder's head. Kim Sun-bin then followed with a two-RBI timely hit that went past the third baseman, quickly widening the score to 6-2. With one out and runners on second and third due to Park Jeong-woo's double, Han Jun-soo sealed the victory with a towering three-run shot. Although they lost Kim Do-young, they exhibited a crazed offense.
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