Home Run King Race Heats Up as Kim Hits 17th & 18th, Austin Hits 17th

The race for the KBO League's home run crown intensified on Sunday as Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers and Austin Dean of the LG Twins both launched homers. Kim, however, pulled ahead by hitting two home runs, including a dramatic walk-off solo shot, to secure a 7-6 victory for the Tigers against the Samsung Lions.

Kim's first home run, a two-run shot in the third inning, tied the game at 3-3. He then sealed the win in the eighth inning with a go-ahead solo blast, bringing his season total to 18. This performance propelled him past Austin Dean in the home run standings.

Dean, who had been tied with Kim for the league lead, responded with his 17th home run of the season in the fourth inning of the LG Twins' game against the NC Dinos. Despite Dean's homer and subsequent runs that helped the Twins tie the game 6-6, they ultimately fell to a walk-off hit in the ninth inning, losing 7-6.

Other games saw the Kiwoom Heroes end a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Doosan Bears, while the Hanwha Eagles secured a 9-8 victory over the Lotte Giants in extra innings thanks to a late error. The SSG Landers also snapped an eight-game Sunday losing streak with a 7-0 shutout win against the KT Wiz, powered by a strong pitching performance.