Kenny Rosenberg (30) of Kiwoom Heroes contributed to the team's come-from-behind victory in extra innings with a solid performance befitting a No. 1 starter.
On the 26th, Rosenberg took the mound as a starter in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game against SSG Landers held at Incheon SSG Landers Field, recording 7 innings, 3 hits allowed, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run.
In the bottom of the first inning, after giving up a hit to lead-off batter Jung Joon-jae, Rosenberg allowed a stolen base to second, resulting in a first-and-third crisis after Kim Sung-hyun's groundout. Ultimately, he allowed the first run after giving up a groundout that drove in a run to Ryan McBroom. Rosenberg then allowed a double to Ko Myeong-jun but managed to record a groundout off Han Yu-seom to end the inning without further runs.
Rosenberg faced another crisis in the second inning. After giving up a hit to lead-off batter Jo Hyung-woo and succumbing to a sacrifice bunt by Choi Jun-woo, he found himself in a one-out, two-on situation. However, he turned both Oh Tae-gon and Ahn Sang-hyun into Samjin, escaping the crisis. He then went on to record a perfect streak against SSG batters until the seventh inning, retiring 16 consecutive batters.
In the seventh inning with one out, after issuing a walk to Han Yu-seom, Rosenberg struck out Jo Hyung-woo and then recorded a groundout off Choi Jun-woo, managing to get out of another jam. In the eighth inning, while trailing 0-1, he handed the mound over to Park Yun-sung, concluding his appearance for the day. Kiwoom broke a three-game losing streak by securing a come-from-behind victory of 2-1 after a close contest that extended into extra innings.
Rosenberg recorded 105 pitches, using a fastball (50 pitches), changeup (26 pitches), slider (23 pitches), and curve (6 pitches) to keep SSG batters at bay. His fastball reached a top speed of 146 km/h, with a strike rate of 66.7%. Although SSG starter Drew Anderson delivered an overwhelming performance with 6⅓ innings, 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, 14 strikeouts, and no earned runs, it was Rosenberg who ultimately came out on top.
After the game, Rosenberg said, "We desperately needed a win as the team had been on a losing streak. I pitched well today and I'm happy to have contributed to the team's victory. I was most satisfied with how I pitched efficiently over long innings. I mainly threw good pitches that were effective early in the game, and overall, the result was positive."
This season, Kiwoom has signed two foreign hitters (Yasiel Puig and Ruben Cardines), and Rosenberg is the only foreign pitcher on the roster. This makes Rosenberg's role in the starting rotation crucial. In seven games this season (41 innings), he has recorded 2 wins, 3 losses, and an earned run average of 3.73. Although he has shown some inconsistency, he delivered an impressive performance in this game, proving to be on par with SSG ace Anderson, who ranks second in strikeouts.
Rosenberg noted, "It would be a lie to say there is no pressure being the No. 1 starter. Not just me, but also Hayoung-min and Kim Yoon-ha are fulfilling their responsibilities in the starting roles, so I strive to perform my duties well as well." He added, "I believe all our pitchers have great abilities. Together with my teammates, we will overcome this challenging period."
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