The Kia Tigers moved to the cusp of their 12th South Korean baseball title with a 9-2 win over the Samsung Lions on the road in Game 4 of the Korean Series on Saturday.

No. 9 hitter Kim Tae-gun smacked a grand slam in a six-run third inning at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 235 kilometers southeast of Seoul, while starter James Naile struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, as the Tigers grabbed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship round.

The Tigers now have a chance to capture their first title since 2017 at home in Game 5 on Monday at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

The Tigers are a perfect 11-for-11 in the Korean Series, and no team has won more titles in KBO history. They have clinched the title at home just once in their history — in the 1987 Korean Series against the Lions. With the next three games in Gwangju, the Tigers are assured of a championship celebration in Gwangju with one more victory.

This is the 42nd edition
of the Korean Series, and there have been 17 occasions where a team fell behind 3-1. Only one team, the 2013 Lions, rallied from that deficit to win the title.

Source: Yonhap News Agency