For the Kiwoom Heroes, who were listed as one of the candidates for the championship in the 2023 KBO League, but fell to 8th place at the beginning of the season, SSG Landers is an opponent they do not want to meet as much as possible. There were many games where the aftermath of last year’s Korean Series, which was unfortunate, still remained, even though it showed good performance, it was twisted against only SSG.스포츠토토
The record of losing streak against SSG this season, which was thought to be over soon, has increased to 8. In this situation, the away game at Munhak Stadium on the 4th was a bout that Kiwoom, who urgently needed to escape from the lower ranks, could never give up.
It was Lee Jung-hoo, the star of Kiwoom, who saved the team from a 9-game losing streak against SSG. Lee Jung-hoo hit a solo home run to tie the score against Choi Min-joon, who took the mound as a setup man in the early 8th inning, with the score trailing 2-3 by 1 point. Afterwards, Kiwoom succeeded in turning 4-3 with Kim Hye-sung’s solo home run in the same inning, and the bullpen managed to break the chain of losing streak against SSG with the bullpen protecting the 1-point gap.
※ Kiwoom Lee Jeong-hoo’s major batting records this season
▲ Kiwoom Lee Jung-hoo’s main batting record (Source: Baseball Records Office KBReport.com)
ⓒ KB Report
Looking at the flow of the game on the 4th, which had a dramatic come-from-behind victory, Kiwoom’s other lineup feels intimidated only when Lee Jung-hoo comes back to life. Since Lee Jung-hoo is usually placed in the top line, Lee Jung-hoo’s active batting is a priority for the team’s offense to flow smoothly. In addition, if Lee Jung-hoo, the symbolic presence of the team, hits hard, the check against other hitters will inevitably be reduced, and the overall batting line will find vitality.
For that reason, Kiwoom’s fall at the beginning of the season was hard to see as having nothing to do with Lee Jung-hoo’s batting slump. As Lee Jung-hoo, the heart of the team, was sluggish, naturally, Kiwoom’s attack power and concentration decreased, and even with a solid starting lineup including the league’s best ace Woo-jin An, they fell helplessly to the bottom ranks.
▲ Lee Jung-hoo, who recovered his MVP-like skills last year
ⓒ Kiwoom Heroes
So, Lee Jung-hoo’s rebound in the past week seems to be a good sign for Kiwoom. Lee Jung-hoo recorded a batting average of 0.478 and an OPS of 1.321 in his six games last week. It is not an exaggeration to say that the season of Lee Jung-hoo, who is recognized as the KBO’s best hitter, will start anew from June because he has recovered his unique sharp swing and precise timing.
When Lee Jung-hoo’s bat gets hotter, Kiwoom’s chances of winning naturally increase. As of June 5, Kiwoom is 22-32, with 10 wins or less based on a 50% win rate. However, he still has 90 games left, so he has plenty of time to fight back. It is noteworthy whether Lee Jung-hoo, who recovered from last year’s MVP-like blow, will be able to lead Kiwoom’s entry into the final 5 in the future.