Kia defeats SSG for the second straight day.
Kia won 7-6 against SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on June 6. The team narrowly held off a late SSG rally.
After pounding out 17 runs on 17 hits the day before, the KIA bats exploded for double-digit hits, including two home runs. Choi Hyung-woo, the No. 4 hitter, hit two solo home runs, marking his 16th consecutive season with double-digit home runs. It is the second-longest streak in KBO history.
The starting matchup between Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun, the 1-2 active wins leaders, ended on a high note. Yang earned the win, throwing 107 pitches over five innings, allowing one run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Kim Kwang-hyun, on the other hand, gave up seven runs on eight hits, two home runs, three walks, and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
SSG will start Shin-soo Choo (right fielder), Ji-hoon Choi (center fielder), Kang-min Kim (designated hitter), Eredia Heredia (left fielder), Park Sung-hyun (shortstop), Kang Jin-sung (first baseman), Kim Sung-hyun (third baseman), Ahn Sang-hyun (second baseman), and Lee Jae-won (catcher). Choi Jeong-jeong was replaced due to an injury while fielding the previous day and is expected to be out until the end of the week with a left pubis muscle injury. Kim Sung-hyun was called up to the first team and played third base.
For KIA, Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Dong-young (third base), Na Sung-beom (right field), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Hwang Dae-in (first base), Lee Woo-sung (left field), Lee Chang-jin (center field), Kim Tae-gun (catcher) and Kim Kyu-sung (second base) were the starting lineup. Kim Tae-gun, who joined the team via trade from Samsung on May 5, made his first start.
SSG scores first. In the bottom of the first inning, three straight singles put runners on base. Kim Kang-min led off with a single to left-center, and Heredia followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. Park Sung-seong hit a single that dropped in front of the center fielder to bring home the runner from second. 1-0 lead.
KIA answered right back in the top of the second. Leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo took a changeup from Kim Kwang-hyun on a 2B-2S pitch and launched a game-tying solo home run (his 10th of the season) over the right field fence. With the home run, Choi has hit double-digit home runs in 16 consecutive seasons. The second-longest streak in KBO history.
KIA tied the game two innings later when Lee Chang-jin drew a walk. Lee stole second base on a wild pitch by Kim Tae-gun. Kim Tae-gun drove in Kim Kwang-hyun’s fastball on a full count to score the winning run.
KIA added another run in the fourth inning. Choi Hyung-woo drew a leadoff walk and Hwang Dae-in singled to right to put runners on first and second.
One out later, Lee Chang-jin singled up the middle to load the bases. Kim Tae-gun took advantage of Kim Kwang-hyun’s fastball and lined a single over the third baseman’s head.
With the bases loaded, Kim Kyu-sung, the No. 9 hitter, doubled to right field. The score was 5-1.
With runners on first and third, Park Chan-ho made it 6-1 with a sacrifice fly to right field. Kim threw 34 pitches in the fourth inning alone, bringing his pitch count to 89.
SSG had a chance to tie the game in the fourth inning when Kang Jin-sung led off with a double to right-center field, but Kim Sung-hyun was thrown out at first base. Ahn Sung-hyun then flied out to right field. Lee Jae-won came in to pinch-hit for Kim Min-sik, but he struck out.
KIA added another run in the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo hit Kim Kwang-hyun’s first-pitch slider (133km) for a solo home run over the right field fence. Multiple home runs in one game. Kim Kwang-hyun was removed after Hwang Dae-in flied out to center field with one out.
SSG got on the board in the sixth inning when Kang Jin-sung led off with a single to left off the bat of pitcher Jung Hae-young. Kim Sung-hyun followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. Choi Joo-hwan came in to pinch-hit for Ahn Sang-hyun. On a full count, he flied out to left field. Kim Min-sik flied out to center field to end the threat.
In the seventh inning, left-hander Lee Jun-young came on as a relief pitcher and walked Choo Shin-soo and hit Choi Ji-hoon to left field with one out. Sidearm Im Ki-young came in and struck out pinch-hitters Han Yoo-seom and Eredia to end the inning.
SSG started the eighth inning with leadoff hitter Kim Chan-hyung singling up the middle. Kang Jin-seong put runners on first and second with a hit that fell between the second baseman, center fielder, and right fielder. Kim Sung-hyun drew a walk to load the bases. The KIA bench removed Lim Ki-young and brought in Jeon Sang-hyun as a relief pitcher.메이저놀이터
Choi Ju-hwan hit a foul home run that just cleared the right field foul pole and then hit a hard grounder to the second baseman. However, second baseman Kim Kyu-sung didn’t get a good grip on the ball and dropped it in the outfield. An error. Two runners came home to make it 7-3.
With runners on first and second, Kim Min-sik grounded out to center. KIA replaced him with left-hander Choi Ji-min. Choo Shin-soo drew a walk to load the bases, and Choi Ji-hoon drove him in with a pitch to the body to make it 7-4. Head coach Kim Jong-kook took the mound to address his players.
Han Yoo-seom popped out to center field. With two outs, Heredia hit a two-run double to left-center field to pull within one at 7-6.
KIA pulled Choi Ji-min and replaced him with Jang Hyun-sik. With runners on first and third, pinch-hitter Choi Jun-woo came up and was retired on a fly ball that was caught in front of the fence.
In the top of the ninth, KIA’s leadoff hitter Kim Kyu-sung singled to right against SSG’s Seo Jin-yong. A sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second. Kim Do-young singled up the middle to put runners at first and third. Na Sung-beom struck out, and Choi Hyung-woo grounded out to second.