SSG overcomes Kiwoom with Kim Gwang-hyun’s counterattack… KIA finished last with Choi Hyeong-woo’s final shot 

Professional baseball defending champion SSG Landers won the first match of the season against Kiwoom Heroes, who had a great match in Game 6 in the Korean Series (KS) last year.

SSG won 3-1 in a home game against Kiwoom in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st.

SSG, who had two consecutive wins, stepped on the 10-win (6-loss) hill for the third time in the league following the LG Twins and NC Dinos.

SSG ace Kim Gwang-hyun, who was eliminated from the 1st team on the 11th due to shoulder inflammation, won his 2nd win of the season with 96 pitches, 3 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts and 1 run in 6 innings before returning to the 1st team.

This is Kim Gwang-hyun’s first quality start this season (less than 3 earned runs in 6 or more starting innings).

SSG, who had been blocked by Kiwoom starter Ariel Hurado without a single player getting on base until two outs in the 4th inning, opened up the water with the best walk.

With a hit by Guillermo Heredia, runners kicked on first and second base, and Hanyu Island hit in front of the left fielder to score the first run.

In the 5th inning, Eui-san Jeon hit a home run.

Eui-san Jeon hit Hurado’s fastball and hit the second home run of the season with a distance of 130m that went over the middle wall.

Kiwoom, who was being dragged by Kim Gwang-hyun, chased after Lee Jung-hoo’s one-run home run in the 6th inning.

Lee Jung-hoo hit Kim Kwang-hyun’s body fastball with a simple swing and hit the season’s third home run that went over the right wall.

SSG then ran away with one more point with Kim Min-sik’s timely hit from 1 out 2 base in the 7th inning.

SSG Hanyu Island predicted an escape from sluggishness by performing the season’s first multi-hit game (two or more hits in one game) with 3 hits in 4 at-bats.

In Gwangju, the Samsung Lions, who suffer from backdoor crackdowns, dedicated victory to the KIA Tigers.

Samsung led KIA 4-2 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, but lost 4-5 after Choi Hyung-woo hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Samsung’s decision to replace Oh Seung-hwan, who had already been shaken by blown saves twice, with left-hander Lee Seung-hyeon, did not work.

Oh Seung-hwan took the mound from 1 out on 2nd and 3rd base in the 7th inning when he was leading 4-2, overcame the crisis with a scoreless run and took his first hold of the season.

However, substitute closer Lee Seung-hyun gave up a left-handed hit to Lee Chang-jin, the first batter in the ninth inning, and then let Socrates Britto walk straight, facing a crisis on first and second base safely.

And after betting on Choi Hyeong-woo with a fastball with two strikes, he dedicated a goodbye three-run homer that went over the left fence.

With Choi Hyeong-woo’s fourth home run in his career, KIA succeeded in catching Samsung and escaping from the bottom.

KIA, which fell to the bottom due to poor batting at the beginning of the season, pushed the Hanwha Eagles, who lost to the LG Twins, to the bottom and rose to ninth place.

In Daejeon, LG defeated Hanwha 4-2 and maintained its lead in the league with three consecutive wins.

After one out in the 4th inning, Moon Seong-joo went on base due to an error by the second baseman and was out due to a stolen base, but Kim Hyun-soo and Austin Dean continued their chances with consecutive walks.

And in a situation where Moon Bo-gyeong was cornered with two strikes, he hit Hanwha starter Felix Pena’s fastball and hit the left fielder with two RBIs and doubles.

In the 8th inning, Kim Seo-Hyun, the future of the Hanwha mound, scored the first run as a professional and opened the score to 4-0.

After leading hitter Moon Seong-joo succeeded in getting on base due to a shortstop error, LG made the bases safely loaded with Kim Hyun-soo’s single hit to left center and Austin’s infield hit.

After exchanging 1 point and 2 out counts with Moon Bo-gyeong’s double hit by shortstop, Jung Joo-hyun’s right fielder hit in front of right fielder in second out and third base.

Kim Seo-hyun, who threw up to 157안전놀이터 km per hour, did not receive any help from the defense, so she tasted the bitter taste of a pro with 3 hits and 2 runs in 1 inning.

In the ‘Nakdong River Derby’ held at Changwon NC Park, the Lotte Giants reaped a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the NC Dinos 3-2.

NC was the first to go ahead.

NC, who took the lead with Son A-seop’s infield grounder in the first inning opportunity to safely load the bases, added one point again with Son Ah-seop’s sacrifice fly in the third inning with one out and third base.

On the mound, Chang-mo Koo seemed to solidify his winning streak by overpowering the Lotte lineup with 4 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts and no runs in 6 innings.

Lotte, who had been dragged all the way, started the reverse electrode from the 8th inning.

In the counterattack at the end of the 8th inning, Hanwha started the chase with Noh Si-hwan’s two RBIs and timely hits, but could not follow.

LG starter Adam Plutko tied for the league lead with 3 wins in the season with 4 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and no runs in 6 innings.

Ko Woo-seok, who pitched in relief with 2 outs 1st and 3rd base in the 8th inning, earned his first save of the season with 2 strikeouts and no runs in 1⅓ innings.

Lotte, who filled the base safely with Yoo Kang-nam’s hit, NC second baseman’s mistake, and Ahn Kwon-soo’s walk, only followed one point with Ko Seung-min’s second baseman’s double hit.

However, after one out in the 9th inning, Noh Jin-hyeok’s double, opponent’s wild throw, and Han Dong-hee’s sacrifice fly broke the NC finisher Lee Yong-chan and made a 2-2 tie.

In the 10th inning of extra time, after two outs, Jung-hoon walked on base, stepped on third base when Jeon Jun-woo hit, and dug into the home base when Kim Young-gyu hit, and succeeded in reversing.

Lotte, who had 2 wins in a row, returned to a win rate of 50% with 8 wins and 8 losses and became tied for 5th place, and NC fell one step in the ranking to 4th place with 10 wins and 8 losses with 3 consecutive losses.

Lotte starter Na Kyun-an did not win, but continued to rise with 3 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs in 7 innings.

In Jamsil, the Doosan Bears beat kt wiz 10-6, ending a long 9-game losing streak against kt.

Doosan tied the score with Heo Kyung-min’s double stroke in the third inning, with no bases loaded, while Yang Seok-hwan’s double hit turned the score around lightly.

In the 4th inning, Ahn Jae-seok’s sacrifice fly and Heo Kyung-min’s 2 RBIs tied the timely hit to run away 5-1, and in the 5th inning, Jose Rojas’ 4th home run of the season (1 point) followed.

Doosan, who scored 1 point in the 6th inning and 3 points in the 7th, gave up 5 runs in the 8th inning kt’s concentrated hit.

Lee Seung-jin, who took the mound at the start of the 8th inning, hit Shin Bong-gi’s head with his first fastball in the bases loaded with 2 out, giving 1 run and was ejected.

This is the second headshot automatic ejection this season.

Doosan put up Kim Myung-shin after Go Bong-jae, who took the mound later, hit Ryu Hyun-in with two RBIs, Moon Sang-cheol with one RBI, and allowed Song Min-seop to hit the ball.

Kim Myung-sin also allowed Anthony Alford to walk, and after being chased by 10-6, Pil Seung-jo hurriedly posted Park Chi-guk.

Park Chi-guk struck out pinch hitter Seong-Woo Jang with the bases loaded with two outs, and kept the victory cleanly until the ninth inning.