"The pitchers and hitters have experienced a lot."

The KIA Tigers secured their second consecutive winning series with a five-game winning streak, but KIA manager Lee Bum-ho could not easily sleep.

At an away game against the Hanwha Eagles at the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Sunday, Kia won 11-9, continuing its five-game winning streak. Kia, which has been in the lead, has posted 13 wins and 4 losses (0.765) this season.

KIA clearly gained the upper hand by scoring a large number of points in the early days of the game. In the top of the third inning alone, Kia scored six points en masse, and added two more points in the top of the fourth inning, displaying an 8-0 run. The team allowed two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but added one run in the top of the sixth inning and two more in the top of the seventh inning, widening the gap to 11-2.

However, he was shaken up as bullpen pitchers allowed seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning alone. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Kwak Do-gyu sent out Lee Jin-young, Jonathan Peraza, and Ahn Chi-hong with hits, walks, and caused a crisis of full base with no outs.

Kia was able to hardly breathe a sigh of relief through stellar pitching by the team that must win. Jeon Sang-hyun, who took the mound in a critical situation, ended the inning without allowing a run, and Choi Ji-min, who took the mound as relief pitcher with no outs and a runner on the first base in the bottom of the ninth inning, secured the lead by two runs as he ended the game without losing a point.

"I was lying down, but I couldn't sleep. As my team kept winning, I felt like I was under pressure in the bullpen, and as I talked about it during the training session, I hoped that I would save (the winning team) little by little. I didn't expect to be hit there," Lee said. "I think both pitchers and hitters have experienced great things in every way."

As some of the main fielders, including Choi Won-joon, Choi Hyung-woo and Kim Do-young, were replaced in the middle of the game, the head coach had no choice but to feel overwhelmed. "In the case of (Kim) Do-young, I took it out because he said his shoulder was not good while sliding, and (Choi) Won-joon continued to play the game, so (Kim) Ho-ryeong replaced it because (Kim) Ho-ryeong had to leave the defense," Lee said. "The fielders also gave three to four innings of rest, so they can play full time today (14th)."

Regarding Kwak Do-gyu, who went down from the mound after failing to catch even one out count, he said, "I don't think my pitching has fallen, and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic yesterday (on the 13th). I think I was even more nervous because I was playing well against the first batter and that happened. I have to play such a game, and overcome it again."

On this day, Jang Hyun-sik, Kwak Do-gyu, and Kim Sa-yoon do not play in the game and take a rest. "James Nail will take the mound as the starting pitcher, but it is definitely different to have three to four players in the bullpen in the back when there is a difference in score, and to have the pitchers who threw the ball on the previous day rest, so I think I thought about both," manager Lee Bum-ho said. "The starting pitcher against the Incheon SSG Landers on the 16th is (Kim) Geon-guk, so I will put (Kim) Sa-yoon on the back." 스포츠토토

Yoon Joong-hyun, who had shown poor performance by allowing three hits (one homer) and three runs on the previous day, was removed from the roster, and right-handed pitcher Kim Hyun-soo was called up to the starting lineup. Kim posted an ERA of 0.96 in nine ⅓ innings in two games in the Futures League this year. It is the first time that he has joined the main league since the opening of this season.

"(Kim) Hyun-soo will use Jung Hyun-soo for his position, and since he kept throwing up to 100 pitches in the Futures League, he intends to hire if the starting pitcher collapses quickly. Since he throws up to eight to 90 pitches without any problems, he can block two to three innings. As the situation was tight, I called up because I thought I needed to have pitchers who could throw for a long time."

Meanwhile, Kia, which is facing Ricardo Sanchez, has formed its lineup in the order of Kim Do-young (third baseman), Lee Chang-jin (right fielder), Lee Woo-sung (first baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Socrates Brito (left fielder), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Choi Won-joon (center fielder), Kim Tae-gun (pitcher) and Hong Jong-pyo (striker). Nail, who has become the winning pitcher in all three games since the opening of the season, will take the mound as the starting pitcher.