Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles helped his team grab an opening-day victory over the SK Wyverns. While Ryu allowed two runs, he struck out six batters during 5 1/3 innings.

A total of 96,800 Korean baseball fans attended the opening-day games in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Saturday, an all-time high.

At Incheon Stadium, the defending champion SK Wyverns competed with the Hanwha Eagles, headed by the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korea national team manager Kim In-sik. Hanwha grabbed an 8-2 victory.

One of the Korea team's aces in the WBC, Ryu Hyun-jin, sealed the victory, allowing just two runs during 5 1/3 inning. He also sent six batters to the dugout by strike out.

The Eagles, which generated the most homers at 120 last season, showed their power again. Shortstop Song Kwang-min produced two runs, hitting the season's first homer in the second inning, while new import outfielder Victor Diaz hit a three-run home run.

Third baseman Lee Bum-ho, who hit three home runs in the WBC and hit an RBI single in the ninth inning of the final versus Japan to send the game to extra innings, hit the ball over the fence to add two more to the score.

At Busan, another WBC hero, Kang Min-ho, led the Lotte Giants to a 3-2 come-front-behind victory.

In the seventh inning, Giants catcher Kang hit a tying dinger in front of the eager Busan fans to make the score 2-2. Then Kim Joo-chan hit an RBI double for victory.

In Daegu, WBC pitcher Bong Jung-keun was part of the LG Twins team that was beaten 6-2 by the Samsung Lions.

Bong, who helped grab two victories over Japan in the WBC, put in a good performance, allowing two runs - one of them earned. But the Lions starter Yoon Sung-hwan overwhelmed the Twins batter, zippering three hits with one run during seven innings.

WBC starter Yoon Suk-min of the KIA Tigers failed to repeat the brilliant play he showed against Venezuela in the semifinal of the classic in a 7-5 defeat against the Doosan Bears in Seoul.

Yoon stood solidly, allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings. But he then allowed two hits and base on balls, and former national team third baseman Kim Dong-joo, who retired from international competition just before the WBC, sent the ball to center field. WBC leadoff Lee Yong-kyu could have finished the fifth inning, but he misjudged the ball's landing spot, allowing three runs.

The 22-year-old lost his concentration and allowed another two runs and descended the mound.

yc@koreatimes.co.kr
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