SSG Landers, who had never lost 5 games in a row since its founding, once again demonstrated its ‘escape instinct’ with the surviving batting line.
SSG won 8-5 in an away game against KT Wiz in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 20th. SSG, who fell into a 4-game losing streak since the Incheon NC Dinos match on the 15th, got out of the pit that day and gained momentum to rise to the top again with 9 wins and 6 losses (0.600 win rate). 스포츠토토
Since 2021, when the predecessor SK Wyverns transformed into SSG, the losing streak has not generally been long. The 7th consecutive loss in 2020 (September 17th against Incheon NC – against Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 24th) is the longest losing streak in recent years. The most consecutive losses since its founding is 6 consecutive losses in 2021 (August 19th against Incheon NC – 27th against Suwon KT), and the record for the most consecutive losses last year is 4 consecutive losses.
SSG has hardly been able to raise its offensive power around the recent 4-game losing streak. In the six games played during the week from the 11th to the 16th, the team’s batting average was 0.245, the third lowest among 10 clubs. In the two games played on the 18th and 19th, it sank further to 0.219. SSG coach Kim Won-hyeong lamented, “They say there are cycles in hitting, but most of them seem to be going through a slump, so I think the pitchers will have to wait a little longer while holding out.”
However, the quiet batting line finally came to life on this day. It was Choi Jeong, the leading hitter, who pierced the clogged blood of the attack. In the beginning of the 4th inning, where SSG fell behind 1-2, Kim Kang-min and Oh Tae-gon’s consecutive hitter homers seemed to open up the water. However, at the end of the 4th inning, the score was tied 3-3, and KT starting pitcher Wes Benjamin had to try again in the 5th inning when his zero point was shaken.
SSG took the lead again with Choi Ji-hoon’s sacrifice fly to center fielder at the top of the 5th inning, with no bases loaded at the top of the 5th inning, with a score of 3-3.
Breaking out of the losing streak wasn’t so easy. KT was not a team to step down powerlessly. At the end of the 6th inning, KT, who broke into the gap where the SSG bullpen staggered, pursued to the bottom of the chin with Jang Seong-woo’s 2 RBIs and timely hits with 1 bases loaded. However, in the top of the 7th inning, Choi Jeong, the first baseman, scored an RBI and a double in the middle right, and the pendulum of victory slanted more towards SSG. SSG, which gained momentum, actually put a wedge in the game with Oh Tae-gon’s center fielder sacrifice fly from 1 out 1 and 3 base.
Choi Jeong-eun, who started as third baseman as the third hitter that day, recorded 3 hits and 3 RBIs in 5 at-bats. This is the first 3 hits and 3 RBIs this season. Even last year, there was only one day when he scored more than 3 hits and 3 RBIs in one game (June 24, against Incheon NC, 3 hits, 4 RBIs in 3 at-bats), which was never common.