The KIA Tigers won 4 consecutive victories and successfully passed the second hurdle. Finisher Jung Hae-young (22), who was sluggish, also made a rebound.
KIA won 3-2 in the second game of a weekend three-game series against the 2023 KBO League Kiwoom Heroes held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 20th. Starter Adonis Medina blocked the opponent’s lineup with 2 runs in 5 innings, and Socrates Brito hit a superior two-run home run against Kiwoom starter Ariel Furado at the end of the 3rd inning, where he was losing 1-2. The bullpen, which started operating from the 6th inning, kept the lead without conceding a run.
Pil Seung-jo pitchers all did their part. Neither the left-handed line of Lee Jun-young and Choi Ji-man nor the right-handed line of Lim Ki-young and Jeon Sang-hyun conceded.
The most encouraging result is Jung Hae-young’s rebound. In the early ninth inning, with a 3-2, 1-point lead, Jung Hae-young induced a floating ball in left field with a slider to pinch hitter Park Chan-hyeok, who was facing as the lead batter, and Lee Jung-hoo, who is a follow-up hitter and has recently been very good at hitting, hit a forkball on the 3rd pitch. The pitcher caught it with a straight hit. Lee Hyung-jong, who faced him two outs later, induced a foul with a slider on a ball count of 1 ball-2 strike, then struck out looking while shaking his eyes with a forkball. I supported KIA’s 4-game winning streak, and personally, I posted my 4th save this season.
Jung Hae-young gave up 2 hits and 1 walk in 1/3 innings against the Samsung Lions on the 17th, giving up 3 runs (2 earned). He faltered in a situation where he took a relatively easy lead (score 7-3). In the end, he passed the mound to Choi Ji-man. KIA won with changed pitcher Choi Ji-min catching two outcounts in a row, but Jung Hae-young couldn’t laugh.
Jung Hae-young made a save against SSG Landers on the 9th, but after that, the team suffered consecutive losses and had no chance to pitch. He allowed both batters to get on base both against SSG on the 11th and against Doosan on the 14th, when he went to check his senses in practice. He has given up no hits in his last three games.
However, with KIA’s 4-game winning streak, he neatly blocked one inning without a hit in the long-awaited opportunity to save.
As of the 20th, the first place in the save category is SSG Seo Jin-yong. He scored 16. Jung Hae-young, who was ranked in the top 3 in saves for the last two seasons in a row, has been pushed out of the top 5. He also has a high hit rate (0.298) and on-base per inning (1.60) recorded until the 19th.
Jung Hae-young had a hard time due to the restraint of his four-seam fastball (fastball) that fell early this season. His blown saves (two) weren’t many, but the intimidation he showed last season is gone. 토스카지노
However, in the atmosphere of the team’s winning streak, Jung Hae-young also made a meaningful save. It is also meaningful that the mission was completed in a tough save situation with a one-point difference. In the KIA, Choi Ji-min, who has grown rapidly, is firmly blocking the first inning, and Lee Jun-young is also consistently pitching well. There are not many teams that have more than 4 members. If Jung Hae-young shows himself, KIA’s back door is expected to become stronger.