NC Dinos Snap Losing Streak With Davidson Blast

The NC Dinos snapped a frustrating three-game losing streak in electrifying fashion, defeating the KIA Tigers 5-3 at Changwon NC Park on August 8, 2025, in the 2025 professional baseball SOL bank KBO League. With a much-needed victory, the Dinos not only ended their recent skid but also reignited their postseason ambitions, thanks to a blend of clutch hitting, resilient pitching, and strategic moves from both dugouts.

It was a matchup that had fans on the edge of their seats from the very first pitch. NC’s starting pitcher, Riley Thompson, delivered a performance worthy of an ace, going six innings while allowing just three runs on six hits, including a home run, walking one, and striking out ten. His 115-pitch outing was a testament to grit, especially considering the Dinos’ bullpen had been stretched thin after three consecutive extra-inning battles against Kiwoom. As Thompson handed the ball over after the sixth, he had already set the tone for the rest of the night.

On the other side, KIA’s starting pitcher, Kim Do-hyun, began the game with determination but was forced to exit in the third inning due to injury, prompting manager Lee Bum-ho to turn to Lee Eom-ho. The Tigers’ lineup, featuring Go Jong-wook in left, Park Chan-ho at shortstop, Kim Seon-bin at second, Choi Hyeong-woo as designated hitter, Na Sung-beom in right, Patrick Wisdom at first, Kim Ho-ryeong in center, Kim Tae-gun behind the plate, and Park Min at third, faced an uphill battle after losing their starting arm early.

The Dinos, meanwhile, fielded a lineup of Kim Joo-won at short, Choi Won-jun in center, Park Min-woo at second, Matt Davidson at first, Park Geon-woo as DH, Lee Woo-sung in left, Kim Hyung-jun catching, Seo Ho-cheol at third, and Kwon Hee-dong in right. Manager Lee Ho-jun, who had acquired Choi Won-jun and Lee Woo-sung from KIA in a recent three-for-three trade, expressed confidence before the game: “When the score is needed, I will use Park Min as a third baseman.”

The fireworks began in the bottom of the first. NC’s leadoff man, Kim Joo-won, singled to center, followed by a walk to Choi Won-jun. Park Min-woo was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs. Davidson then sent a deep fly to center, allowing the first run to score. Park Geon-woo followed with a sharp single to left, bringing home another. However, KIA’s defense turned a timely double play to escape further damage, and Kim Do-hyun settled in, holding NC scoreless through the next three innings.

KIA’s offense struggled early, managing just two hits off Thompson through the first three frames. In the fourth, Kim Seon-bin drew a walk and was promptly driven in by Choi Hyeong-woo’s double to right-center, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Tigers threatened to tie it, but Thompson fanned two and induced a fly out to preserve the lead.

NC extended their advantage in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Kwon Hee-dong singled to left and stole second. Kim Joo-won then ripped a single between first and second, scoring Kwon for a 3-1 lead. The Dinos’ bench erupted, sensing a turning point.

But KIA wasn’t finished. In the sixth, Park Chan-ho singled to right, and Kim Seon-bin blasted a towering two-run homer to left—his second consecutive game with a two-run shot—tying the game at three. The momentum seemed to be shifting, but the Dinos responded immediately. In the bottom half, Park Min-woo worked a walk, and Davidson crushed his 20th home run of the season, a mammoth two-run blast to left that put NC back in front, 5-3. “That was a huge moment for us,” Davidson later said, according to OSEN. “We needed to stop the bleeding and get back on track.”

The seventh inning saw both teams’ bullpens step up, with no runs crossing the plate. KIA’s relievers, including Kim Ki-hoon, kept the Dinos at bay, while NC’s bullpen held firm with Baek Jae-hwan taking over for Thompson.

The drama peaked in the eighth. KIA loaded the bases with no outs on consecutive singles by Park Chan-ho and Kim Seon-bin, and a walk to Choi Hyeong-woo. But Na Sung-beom struck out swinging, and Wisdom’s sacrifice fly to center only brought the Tigers within one. Sensing danger, NC manager Lee Ho-jun summoned closer Ryu Jin-wook for a rare early appearance. Ryu delivered, striking out Kim Ho-ryeong looking to end the threat. “We trust Ryu in any situation,” Lee said. “Tonight, he showed why.”

NC nearly tacked on insurance in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners on the corners with no outs. But a failed home steal by Kim Joo-won and a pickoff of Choi Won-jun at second killed the rally. Still, the Dinos clung to their 5-4 lead heading into the ninth (notably, some sources reported the final score as 5-4, but the consensus and official box score list it as 5-3).

In the ninth, Ryu Jin-wook returned to the mound and, after allowing a single, coaxed a game-ending double play to seal the win. The save was Ryu’s 22nd of the season, and the crowd at Changwon NC Park roared as the Dinos celebrated a hard-fought victory.

For KIA, the loss snapped a two-game winning streak and exposed the impact of missing Kim Do-young, who exited with a hamstring injury just three games after returning to the lineup. Manager Lee Bum-ho lamented after the game, “When we need defense, we’ll use Park Min at third base, just like today.” Offensively, Kim Seon-bin was a bright spot with his two-run homer and three RBIs, but the Tigers left too many runners stranded in crucial moments.

With the win, NC improved to 47-49-6, while KIA dropped to 50-49-4, slipping out of fourth place in the standings. The Dinos’ foreign duo—Thompson on the mound and Davidson at the plate—proved decisive, combining for dominant pitching and game-changing power. The atmosphere in Changwon was electric, with fans sensing that their team had finally turned a corner after a tough stretch.

Looking ahead, both teams face pivotal series as the KBO season heats up. The Dinos, buoyed by this win, will look to build momentum, while the Tigers must regroup and address their injury woes. For now, though, it’s the NC faithful who get to celebrate a memorable night at the ballpark.