The team that will come up is coming up. KIA is ranking 4th → He won a one-point match without using a must-win group, and his potential began to come out
May 19, 2025
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KIA jumped to a tie for fourth place with five wins and one loss in six games in the third week of May. It swept all three consecutive weekend games against the Doosan Bears at home Gwangju KIA Champions Field. In particular, in the last game on the 18th, he won the extra game (5-4 wins) by one point while saving all the must-win groups. KIA once fell to eighth place, but recovered its '50 winning rate as of the 19th. He is 22 wins, 22 losses, and 4th place. They tied for second place by five games.
KIA was selected as the overwhelming favorite ahead of the opening. The prevailing assessment was that he preserved his winning record last season and that foreign players were upgraded. The opinion that there was no suitable competitor to check KIA's dominance was dominant.
When I opened the lid, several bad news came at the same time. Main infielder Kim Do-young, Park Chan-ho, and Kim Sun-bin were injured one after another. When Kim Do-young returned, the big gun Na Sung-bum was injured. Yang Hyun-jong, the native ace, was caught in the ninth inning with 179 wins in total. In six appearances through April, he had only three losses without a win. Yoon Young-chul, the much-anticipated fifth starter, went down to the second division after four games. With the pitching and hitting offbeat, KIA plunged to the bottom of the list, overshadowing the praise of 'absolute first round'.
KIA waited for a chance to fight back as the mound held out. With foreigners' one-two punch nails and Oler firmly at the center, the fact that the bullpen did not collapse was a great help. Above all, Cho Sang-woo, who was acquired through a cash trade, has firmly established himself as a reliable man. Closer Jung Hae-young held on to the back door. Jeon Sang-hyun, Choi Ji-min, and Lee Joon-young also played their part, showing growth by Kim Gun-guk and Yoon Joong-hyun.
KIA's solidity was clearly shown in the match against Doosan on the 18th.
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As it was a game where the must-win group took a break, they had to win as early as possible. But the game was a close game. Starter Kim Do-hyun was replaced in the top of the seventh inning with a close lead of 4-3. KIA seemed to be at a disadvantage in the waist fight as second pitcher Kim Ki-hoon allowed a tie.
From here on, KIA began to display the power of 'defending champion'. Kim Geon-guk came out and put out the fire. An unexpected variable that was replaced by a hit came in, but Yoon Joong-hyun became the troubleshooter. He allowed two scoreless innings in two ⅓. When Jeon Sang-hyun blocked the top of the 10th inning, KIA's batting line responded with a finishing touch in the bottom of the 10th inning.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.