No. 1 KIA → No. 8...Hanwha → LG's consecutive sweepstakes are fatal
Jul 24, 2025
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KIA was completely defeated 0-8 against the LG Twins in Gwangju on the 24th. Starting pitcher Yang Hyun-jong maintained a tight flow by pitching six scoreless innings, but the bullpen collapsed again. Sung Young-tak, who he believed in, was shaken by two runs in one inning, and Choi Ji-min (1 run in 0 innings), Lee Joon-young (2 runs in 0 innings), and Lee Ho-min (3 runs in ⅓ innings) collapsed one after another.
It is the aftermath of losing to LG on the 22nd and 23rd, playing Cho Sang-woo and Jung Hae-young in the must-win group. On the 22nd, he was dragged 1-4 and scored six points in the bottom of the eighth inning, taking the opportunity to win 7-4. However, closer Jung Hae-young, who took the mound in the ninth inning, collapsed with four runs in ⅓ innings, and lost 7-9.
On the 23rd, he lost 5 to 6 after a close game that lasted until the 10th inning. Jo Sang-woo, who took the mound in the 10th inning with a score of 4-4, gave up the game as it was, allowing only two runs in ⅓ innings.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho declared on the 24th that Jung Hae-young and Cho Sang-woo will not play three consecutive games. Instead, he said he would leave Jeon Sang-hyun as the closing pitcher and use Sung Young-tak, Lee Joon-young and Choi Ji-min to endure as much as possible. If the game had been played according to the order, he would have added Jeon Sang-hyun, Cho Sang-woo, and Jung Hae-young, a must-win group, behind Yang Hyun-jong. I couldn't do that, so I started Plan B and was defeated.
The cost of losing all three games to LG was huge. KIA recorded 46 wins, 43 losses and three draws in the season, dropping one place from fourth place to fifth place. KT Wiz, which has recently won three consecutive games, has risen to fourth place, 0.5 games ahead, while sixth-ranked Samsung Lions are closely chasing by one game.
KIA ranked first with 15 wins, seven losses and two draws in June, setting the stage for a rebound in the second half. At that time, he wrote a miracle at a time when a large number of injured people, including Na Sung-bum, Kim Sun-bin, Kim Do-young and Lee Eui-ri, were missing. Young players, such as Oh Sun-woo, Kim Ho-ryeong and Kim Seok-hwan, who were thirsty for the first-team opportunity, were scared to ride the flow once.
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Kia ranks eighth in the league with five wins and eight losses in July. As Na Sung-bum, Kim Sun-bin and Lee Eui-ri joined at the beginning of the second half, they expected synergy with young players, but they are going downhill.
In the end, we have to point out the absence of foreign pitcher Adam Oler. As Oler fell out, the height of the mound was noticeably lowered. KIA ranks ninth in the league with an ERA of 5.21. Yoon Young-chul is also out due to an elbow injury along with Oler. Lee Eui-ri and Kim Geon-guk fill the vacancies of both, both pitchers who cannot fill five innings at the moment. In the end, the bullpen has to be dragged and used for a long time, and the overloaded bullpen is currently groaning.
Oler is preparing to return to the mound with the start of August. Last year's MVP Kim Do-young, who is rehabilitating due to a hamstring injury, is also sweating to return before mid-August. Kim Do-young is also Kim Do-young, but Oler is in desperate need right now.
KIA will meet third-ranked Lotte and ninth-ranked Doosan in the remaining July. Not to mention that Lotte is a threatening team, Doosan has been so strong recently that it ranked second (8 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw) in July. And KIA will meet another difficult opponent Hanwha at the start of August. Here, KIA must endure somehow to sing the 5th round and at the same time have a glimpse of the opportunity to climb to the top once again. It is difficult to break down further here.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
