Wow, 7 → 4th place. I didn't expect a secondhand rookie to lead...ERA 5.59 has been saved to the end of the crisis

Jun 22, 2025

Wow, 7 → 4th place. I didn't expect a secondhand rookie to lead...ERA 5.59 has been saved to the end of the crisis
A match between SSG and KIA at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st. KIA Sung Young-tak shares high-fives with teammates after finishing the 10th inning without losing a point. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.06.21/






KIA Tigers right-hander Sung Young-tak has another job. One step closer to league record history, while also saving the team from the worst possible upset loss.

Sung Young-tak took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and runners on first and second bases against Incheon SSG Landers on the 21st. In the bottom of the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead, closer Jung Hae-young allowed a series of timely hits to Guillermo Herredia and Han Yu-sum to make a blon save, and when he threw the first ball to Jung Joon-jae in the continued crisis with one out and runners on the first and second bases, the KIA bench replaced the mound with Sung Young-tak.

Sung Young-tak put out the urgent fire in response to the bench's expectations. He took the mound in the most urgent situation since his professional debut, and he took a breath by treating Jung Joon-jae as a straight hit to second baseman. Park Sung-han was then allowed a hit to the right, and second baseman Herredia ran all out to win the game, although it was too much to go home. At this time, right fielder Choi Won-joon threw accurately and strongly home, and catcher Kim Tae-gun received the ball and tagged out leisurely before Herredia reached home plate.




Sung kept the mound in the 10th inning. The stability was great in the absence of a runner. Lee Ji-young grounded out to shortstop, Choi Jun-woo struck out swinging, and Seok Jung-woo hit a fly ball to shortstop to finish the pitch neatly with three outs. Thanks to this, KIA finished with a 5-5 draw in the 11th inning, recording 37 wins, 44 losses and two draws in the season, allowing it to climb one place from fifth place to fourth place alone.

Sung Young-tak continued his new league record challenge. In the first ⅔ of the day, Sung Young-tak pitched one hit, no four outs, and no strikeouts. This season, 17 ⅓ innings have continued.
Wow, 7 → 4th place. I didn't expect a secondhand rookie to lead...ERA 5.59 has been saved to the end of the crisis
A game between SSG and KIA at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st. In the bottom of the ninth inning, SSG Han Yoo-sum hit a timely RBI single to KIA Jeong Hae-young. KIA Jung Hae-young is disappointed. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.06.21/



Wow, 7 → 4th place. I didn't expect a secondhand rookie to lead...ERA 5.59 has been saved to the end of the crisis
A match between SSG and KIA at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st. KIA's Sung Young-tak pitches in the 10th inning. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.06.21/



Sung Young-tak pitched two scoreless innings against the Gwangju KT Wiz on the 19th, recording 15 ⅔ scoreless innings, setting a new club record for the longest consecutive scoreless innings since his debut. Senior player Cho Gye-hyun surpassed the scoreless 13 ⅔ innings recorded from the match against the Mudeung Binggrae Eagles on April 9, 1989, to the match against the Lotte Giants in Sajik on April 22, 1989, for the first time in 36 years.

Sung Young-tak added one ⅔ inning on the day, pushing out Park No-joon (16 ⅓ innings) of the OB Bears in 1986 to rank third in KBO history. In 2002, Hyundai Unicorns Cho Yong-joon was ranked second in 18 innings, and Kiwoom Heroes Kim In-beom was ranked first in 19 ⅔ innings. Kim In-beom lasted for four seasons without losing a point from the Jamsil LG Twins match on August 29, 2021, to the Gocheok Samsung Lions match on April 26 last year. Sung Young-tak has two ⅔ left to write a new history.




It is a welcoming performance for KIA bullpen. Sung Young-tak joined KIA as 96th overall in the 10th round of the 2024 rookie draft. Last year, he focused on raising his speed, which is in the late 130km/h while building his body, and tried to make changes by installing two-seam fastballs with the goal of making his first-team debut this year. Sung Young-tak, who came to the first team after registering as an official player on the 21st of last month, started as a chasing group and is performing as a must-win group in a month.

Sung Young-tak's growth is all the more welcome as the closing Jung Hae-young is shaking significantly in June. Jung Hae-young is worried as he finished with nine ⅔ innings and an ERA of 5.59 in nine games in June. Cho Sang-woo, a setup man who was reinforced by trade ahead of the season, has eight innings and an ERA of 1.13 in June, but there are not many games that have been neatly blocked. In the meantime, Sung Young-tak is preventing bullpen overload by pitching 12 scoreless innings in 9 games in June. Without Sung Young-tak, who is on the path of a second-hand rookie of all time, it is not an exaggeration to say that KIA has not been on the rise recently.

Wow, 7 → 4th place. I didn't expect a secondhand rookie to lead...ERA 5.59 has been saved to the end of the crisis
A match between SSG and KIA at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st. KIA Sung Young-tak shares high-fives with teammates after finishing the 10th inning without losing a point. Incheon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.06.21/







This article was translated by Naver AI translator.