Samsung storms to six straight wins to hold first place as LG retakes third and Hanwha loses seven in a row

Samsung kept its grip on first place with a sixth consecutive win, shutting out the Lotte Giants 3-0 at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on June 1.

The victory lifted Samsung’s record to 69 wins, three ties and 44 losses and extended its winning run. Lotte, meanwhile, slipped to 50 wins, two ties and 62 losses after suffering a fifth straight defeat, leaving the team in seventh place.

Samsung’s foreign starting pitcher Austin Boss provided the foundation for the win. He opened the game by grounding out Hwang Seong-bin, Na Seung-yeop and Victor Reyes in the first inning. In the second, he struck out Han Dong-hee on a catcher’s interference-style third strike, then fanned Ko Seung-min and retired Jeon Min-jae on a fly ball to first.

Boss allowed consecutive singles to Yoon Dong-hee and Son Sung-bin with one out in the third inning, but escaped the threat by inducing Han Tae-yang to hit into a double play. With two outs and a runner on second, he ended the inning by retiring Hwang Seong-bin on a fly ball to center. After Boss completed a 1-2-3 fourth inning, Samsung’s offense responded with a run-scoring push that began with Koo Ja-wook’s infield single.