'This is a miracle'KT shock to regain fifth place with 6 consecutive wins by SSG's collapse

Sep 22, 2024

SSG players happy after winning. Sports Chosun DB

Autumn DNA exists. SSG Landers dramatically retook fifth place with a miracle at the end of the season.

SSG won 6-2 against KT Wiz in Game 16 of the season at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 22nd.

With this victory, SSG recently won six consecutive games and recorded an amazing winning rate of eight wins, one draw and one loss in 10 games, pushing KT to sixth place and retaking fifth place. SSG has risen back to fifth place in about a month since August 23. On the other hand, KT, which lost two consecutive weekend games to SSG, slipped one spot to sixth place due to a crushing defeat against each other.

▶SSG starting lineup = Park Ji-hwan (designated hitter) - Kim Sung-hyun (second baseman) - Choi Jung (third baseman) - Eredia (left fielder) - Han Yu-sum (right fielder) - Park Sung-han (striker) - Ha Jae-hoon (middle fielder) - Oh Tae-gon (first baseman) - Lee Ji-young (catcher) starter Kim Kwang-hyun

▶KT starting lineup = Rojas (right wing) - Kim Min-hyuk (left wing) - Jang Sung-woo (catcher) - Moon Sang-cheol (first baseman) - Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman) - Oh Jae-il (designated hitter) - Bae Jung-dae (center fielder) - Oh Yoon-seok (second baseman) - Shim Woo-jun (striker) starting pitcher Benjamin

KT lost its first chance to score first. After one out in the bottom of the second inning, Hwang Jae-kyun and Oh Jae-il walked consecutively against Kim Kwang-hyun to get on base. With runners on the first and second bases, the allocation team was caught on a fly to the left field, and Oh Yoon-seok also grounded out in front of the shortstop, ending the inning scoreless.

Kim Kwang-hyun. Photo=SSG Landers

SSG succeeded in drawing the first point in the top of the third inning. Leading hitter Ha Jae-hoon got on base with a straight walk, then stole second base and stole third base, confusing KT's battery. Oh Tae-gon stepped down with an infield fly, but after one out, SSG scored one point first when third baseman Ha Jae-hoon came home when Lee Ji-young grounded out in front of the second baseman.

Park Ji-hwan's home run followed. Park Ji-hwan hit a 148km fastball on the fourth pitch of the 1B2S against Benjamin, leading to a solo home run over the left-center field. SSG, which scored two runs in the third inning, took a 2-0 lead.

SSG Park Ji-hwan hits a game between SSG and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 28th. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2024.06.28/

While KT's batters failed to attack Kim Kwang-hyun, SSG finally scored an additional point in the top of the sixth inning. Choi Jung filled the first base with a walk with one out. As Herredia struck out swinging, the chance seemed to be ruined, but Han Yu-sum's timely hit came out. Han Yu-seom's double to the left of the center field allowed Choi Jung, the first baseman, to turn around the second and third bases and come home.

It wasn't the end here. Park Sung-han's home run went off. Park Sung-han hit Benjamin's 139km cutter with two outs and a runner on second and connected it to a two-run home run over right-center. SSG widened the gap to 5-0.

KT has not scored a single run in six innings against Kim Kwang-hyun. The most regrettable scene was at the end of the 5th episode. Following leadoff hitter Oh Jae-il's walk on base, Shim Woo-joon's hit after two outs and Rojas' walk made it difficult. KT's bench took out Kang Baek-ho's card as a pinch hitter in Kim Min-hyuk's at-bat, but Kang Baek-ho was caught with a ground ball in front of the shortstop, and the bases-loaded chance was canceled.

A game between the LG Twins and SSG Landers at Jamsil Stadium on the 21st. Manager Lee Soo-yong welcomes Park Sung-han, who scored during a timely hit by SSG Kim Sung-hyun with two outs and runners on second base in the top of the seventh inning. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.08.21/

SSG even scored a decisive point in the top of the seventh inning with Park Ji-hwan's solo shot in the absence of a two-out runner. Park Ji-hwan hit a solo shot over the left fence at the first pitch against KT's second pitcher Kim Min-soo. Park Ji-hwan hit multiple home runs in his first game since his debut as a pro.

KT's lineup, which had been quiet, finally woke up in the bottom of the seventh inning. He scored his first goal. After leadoff hitter Oh Jae-il's walk on base against SSG Seo Jin-yong, runners piled up with hits by Bae Jeong-dae. With no outs and runners on the first and second bases, second baseman Oh Jae-il entered the third base when Oh Yoon-seok's fly to right field. 1st and 3rd base with one out. Oh Jae-il scored in the third week with Shim Woo-joon's timely hit falling in front of left field.

After Rojas' strikeout, two outs and runners on first and second bases. Jung Joon-young hit a long shot that divided the right-center. The second base runner's allocation team homered, and even first base runner Shim Woo-joon aimed to score a home run. He penetrated home past third base, but SSG catcher Lee Ji-young's tag got him out by a hair's breadth. KT finished the inning with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

SSG is on guard. Moon Seung-won, who took the mound in the eighth inning, treated Jang Sung-woo, Moon Sang-cheol, and Hwang Jae-gyun as three-and-out offenses, and Han Doo-sol took the mound in the top of the ninth inning. KT also did not step down easily. Following Oh Jae-il's walk on base, Bae Jeong-dae's double created a chance for the second and third bases with no outs. In the end, closer Cho Byung-hyun took the mound in relief. Cho Byung-hyun ended the game without losing a point as he handled hitters leading to Oh Yoon-seok, Shim Woo-joon and Rojas.

youll@sportschosun.com