KIA won 7-6 against SSG at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 6th. He narrowly missed the SSG chase at the last minute.
KIA’s batters, who scored 17 hits and 17 points the previous day, exploded with double-digit hits, including two home runs. 꽁머니지급 No. 4 hitter Choi Hyung-woo hit two solo home runs, achieving double-digit home runs for 16 consecutive seasons. It is the second record in KBO history.
The starting match between Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun, who are ranked first and second in active wins, ended blandly. Yang Hyun-jong pitched 107 pitches in five innings and became the winning pitcher with five hits, two walks, four strikeouts and one run. On the other hand, Kim Kwang-hyun collapsed with 8 hits, 2 home runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout, and 7 runs in 4⅓ innings.
SSG will start with Choo Shin-soo (right fielder), Jihoon Choi (center fielder), Kim Kang-min (nominated hitter), Eredia (left fielder), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Kang Jin-sung (first baseman), Kim Sung-hyun (third baseman), Ahn Sang-hyun (second baseman), and Lee Jae-won (catcher). Choi Jung was replaced due to an injury during defense the previous day, and it is expected that he will not be able to play until the end of this week due to an injury to his left pubis muscle. Kim Sung-hyun was called up to the first division and played as a third baseman.
For KIA, Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Dong-young (third baseman), Na Sung-bum (right fielder), Choi Hyung-woo (nominated hitter), Hwang Dae-in (first baseman), Lee Woo-sung (left fielder), Lee Chang-jin (center fielder), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Kim Kyu-sung (second baseman) started the lineup. Kim Tae-gun, who joined Samsung on a trade on the 5th, started for the first time.
SSG scored first. Three consecutive hits after two outs in the first inning. Kim Kang-min got on base with a left-center hit, and Eredia made a chance to first and second base with a heavy hit. Park Sung-han hit a timely hit in front of the center fielder to bring the runner on second base home. a 1-0 lead.
KIA immediately fought back in the top of the second inning. Leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo kicked up Kim Kwang-hyun’s change-up in the ball count 2B-2S and fired a tie solo home run (season 10th) over the right fence. With this home run, Choi Hyung-woo recorded double-digit home runs for 16 consecutive seasons. The second record in KBO history.
After two outs, Lee Chang-jin picked up a walk and got on base. Lee Chang-jin stole second base in Kim Tae-gun’s at-bat. Kim Tae-gun pushed Kim Kwang-hyun’s fastball from the full count and scored a come-from-behind RBI with a double as a priority.
KIA scored an additional run in the fourth inning. Leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo picked up a walk, and Hwang Dae-in made first and second bases with no outs with a right-handed hit.
After one out, Lee Chang-jin hit a timely hit to the center field to lead to a full base chance. Kim Tae-gun hit a timely RBI that hit Kim Kwang-hyun’s first pitch and escaped next to the third baseman.
With one out and a full base, ninth batter Kim Kyu-sung hit a timely hit to the right to add two RBIs. The gap widened to 5-1.
With one out and runners on first and third base, Park Chan-ho made it 6-1 with a sacrifice fly to right field. Kim Kwang-hyun threw 34 pitches in the fourth inning alone, and the number of pitches reached 89.
SSG made a chance to chase with leadoff hitter Kang Jin-sung in the fourth inning with a double that separates the right-center. However, Kim Sung-hyun was out with a fly ball to first baseman. Ahn Sung-hyun then stepped down with a fly ball to right field. pinch hitter Kim Min-sik entered Lee Jae-won’s at-bat, but struck out.
KIA scored another goal in the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter Choi Hyung-woo hit Kim Kwang-hyun’s first slider (133km) and hit a solo home run over the right fence. Multi-homer in one game. Kim Kwang-hyun was replaced after catching Hwang Dae-in with a fly ball to center field.
SSG got on base with a left-handed hit after one out against changed pitcher Jung Hae-young in the sixth inning. Kim Sung-hyun then hit a heavy hit to create a chance to score first and second base. Choi Joo-hwan entered Ahn Sang-hyun’s at-bat as a pinch hitter. The ball hit at the full count became a fly ball out to left field. Kim Min-sik stepped down with a fly ball to center field and failed to chase.
KIA was replaced in the seventh inning by left-hander Lee Joon-young as a relief pitcher, walking Choo Shin-soo and catching one out with a fly ball to left-field Jihoon Choi. Sideam Lim Ki-young took the mound and finished the inning with an out count with a fly ball between pinch hitter Han Yu-seom and Eredia.
SSG’s leadoff hitter Kim Chan-hyung got on base with a heavy hit in the eighth inning. Kang Jin-sung made first and second base with a missed hit between the second baseman, center fielder and right fielder. Kim Sung-hyun picked up a walk and loaded the bases with no outs. Lim Ki-young was lowered from the KIA bench and Jeon Sang-hyun was named as a relief pitcher.
Choi Joo-hwan hit a foul home run slightly off the right pole and then hit a hard grounder heading straight to the second baseman. However, second baseman Kim Kyu-sung failed to properly orient the ball and dropped it into the outfield. Mistake. Two runners homered to chase 7-3.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Kim Min-sik stepped down with a fly ball to center field. KIA replaced the pitcher with left-hander Choi Ji-min. Choo Shin-soo picked up a walk and loaded the bases with one out, and Jihoon Choi followed with a 7-4 push with a ball that hit him. Head coach Kim Jong-kook took the mound himself and comforted the players.
Han Yu-seom stepped down with a fly ball to center field. With two outs and a full base, Eredia hit a timely two-run hit to the left to chase 7-6.
KIA dropped Choi Ji-min and replaced the pitcher with Jang Hyun-sik. With two outs and runners on first and third bases, pinch hitter Choi Joon-woo came out and stepped down with a fly ball caught in front of the fence.
KIA’s leadoff hitter Kim Kyu-sung got on base with a right-handed hit against SSG Seo Jin-yong in the ninth inning. With a sacrifice bunt, one out and second base. Kim Do-young connected with a first and third base chance with a heavy hit. Na Sung-bum struck out and Choi Hyung-woo failed to get additional points with a grounder to second base.