Ko Jong-wook's final hit + Elot, wait! KIA, Winning Series to SSG...Oh Seonwoo's fantastic leg splits

Jul 03, 2025

KIA Tigers' Ko Jong-wook, who finished the game again. He is the most advanced hitter in KIA recently. Photo courtesy = KIA Tigers

KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong is pitching hard in a match between Hanwha and KIA at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on the 8th. Gwangju = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.06.08/

KIA Tigers achieved the Winning Series.

KIA beat the '2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League' SSG Landers 3-2 in the last game of three consecutive games during the week at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 3rd. Kia, ranked fourth, recorded 43 wins, 36 losses and three draws in the season. It is 1.5 games behind the LG Twins and Lotte Giants, who are tied for second place. SSG had a season record of 40 wins, 38 losses and 3 draws.

KIA made the starting lineup with Ko Jong-wook (left fielder), Park Chan-ho (striker), Patrick Wisdom (third baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Oh Sun-woo (first baseman), Kim Seok-hwan (right fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (middle fielder), Kim Tae-gun (possession) and Kim Kyu-sung (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Yang Hyun-jong.

SSG confronted Oh Tae-gon (center fielder), Guillermo Herredia (left fielder), Choi Jung (third baseman), Han Yu-sum (designated hitter), Ko Myung-joon (first baseman), Park Sung-han (striker), Ahn Sang-hyun (second baseman), Lee Ji-young (catcher), and Park Ji-hwan (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Moon Seung-won.

Yang Hyun-jong did his best as an ace. In six innings, he recorded 75 pitches, five hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and two runs, and retired without winning or losing. From the seventh inning, Jeon Sang-hyun (1 inning), Cho Sang-woo (1 inning), and Jung Hae-young (1 inning) continued to throw to keep the victory.

Ko Jong-wook led the Winning Series. Both the first game of the series and the day on the 1st proved to be the best in his recent at-bat. He went 3 for 4 with an RBI.

KIA had the first run. In the bottom of the first inning, leadoff hitter Ko Jong-wook opened the scoring with an infield hit to the left of the second baseman. Park Chan-ho's hit to the right gave him a chance to hit first and third bases with no outs. Wisdom struck out swinging, but after one out, Choi Hyung-woo hit a superior timely double to make it 1-0. With one out and runners on the second and third bases, third baseman Park Chan-ho scored and ran 2-0 when Oh Sun-woo grounded out to the second base.

SSG-Hanwha match held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 18th. Starting pitcher Moon Seung-won is disappointed with the ball decision. Daejeon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025..May 18/

SSG-Hanwha match held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 17th. Choi Jung swings and misses to Ponce's ball in the top of the first inning with two outs. Daejeon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025..May 17/

Yang Hyun-jong allowed Choi Jung to hit a long ball in the top of the third inning and lost a point. After striking out Lee Ji-young and Park Ji-hwan in a row, he gave up hits to Oh Tae-gon and Herredia in succession, putting them on the verge of being on the first and second bases with two outs. Choi Jung hit a timely double to the left and was chased 2-1.

In the top of the fifth inning, Yang Hyun-jong did not receive defensive help. Leadoff hitter Lee Ji-young got on base with a straight walk, and Park Ji-hwan's sacrifice bunt made it one out and second base. Oh Tae-gon then hit a hit to the left of right field. It was a rather short hit, but while right fielder Kim Seok-hwan could not handle the hit smoothly, second baseman Lee Ji-young scored to make it 2-2.

The fixer was Ko Jong-wook again. In the bottom of the seventh inning, leadoff hitter Kim Ho-ryeong opened the door with an infield hit to the right side of the shortstop, and Kim Tae-gun's sacrifice bunt made it one out and second base. Kim Kyu-sung walks. Ko Jong-wook gave a 3-2 lead by taking a timely hit to pitcher Park Si-hoo, who was changed from the first and second bases with one out.

A situation where more additional points are needed. Park Chan-ho's left-handed hit gave him a chance to make the bases full with one out, but Wisdom and Choi Hyung-woo stepped down side by side as they stepped down as a mistake.

In the top of the eighth inning, the atmosphere could have been crossed by SSG, and a good rain came out. Leading hitter Oh Tae-gon's hit went deep toward the third baseman, and shortstop Park Chan-ho did not give up and threw to first base from a long distance. First baseman Oh Seon-woo tore his leg as much as possible and caught it and connected it to a ground ball to shortstop. If the two players did not work together, they would have been in crisis by sending them out as leadoff batters. Thanks to overcoming this crisis, KIA was able to keep its one-run victory.