Professional baseball SSG Landers' Roh Kyung-eun (41) led the team's winning streak by handling multiple innings in crucial moments.
On the 29th, Roh Kyung-eun appeared as a relief pitcher in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game against the NC Dinos held at Incheon SSG Landers Field, recording 1⅔ innings, 1 strikeout, and no earned runs.
With SSG leading 6-5 in the 7th inning and 1 out, Roh Kyung-eun took the mound in place of Park Si-hu and forced Kim Joo-won into a groundout to the second baseman, while Kwon Hee-dong was retired on a fly ball to left field, finishing the inning. In the 8th inning, Roh Kyung-eun again took the mound, striking out lead-off hitter Matt Davidson with a swinging strikeout. He gave up a hit to Park Gun-woo and allowed a stolen base to pinch runner Park Young-bin, but showcased his experience by thwarting Park Young-bin's attempt to steal third base with a rundown. He then retired Cheon Jae-hwan on a fly ball to right field.
In the 9th inning, Roh Kyung-eun handed the mound over to closer Jo Byeong-hyun, completing his appearance for the day. SSG won 6-5 as Jo Byeong-hyun successfully closed the game, extending their winning streak to two.
Roh Kyung-eun, who recorded a total of 590 games (1,420 innings), 86 wins, 97 losses, 95 holds, and 12 saves with a 4.80 earned run average in the KBO League, has been active with SSG since 2022. When he transferred to SSG after being virtually released from Lotte, he was not expected to perform significantly, but he quickly established himself as a key pitcher in the SSG bullpen. Last season, he recorded 77 games (83⅔ innings), 8 wins, 5 losses, 38 holds, and a 2.90 earned run average, becoming the first in KBO League history to achieve 30 holds in consecutive seasons and earning the title of the oldest hold king.
After becoming a free agent at the end of the season, there were concerns that Roh Kyung-eun might face difficulties in signing due to his age of 41 this year, but he quickly finalized a 2+1 year contract worth 2.5 billion won.
Roh Kyung-eun, who handled the most innings among relief pitchers last year, continues to steadfastly contribute significant innings this year. He does not shy away from multi-inning outings when the team needs him.
SSG was unable to play on that day as both Kim Min and Lee Ro-un had already pitched. Additionally, starting pitcher Kim Gun-woo exited after only 2⅓ innings, increasing the workload for the bullpen. With few reliable relief pitchers and many innings to cover, Roh Kyung-eun took responsibility for 1⅔ innings, playing a crucial role in the victory.
After the game, SSG manager Lee Soong-yong praised Roh Kyung-eun, stating, "The bullpen successfully limited the scoring with a relay of strong pitching. (Roh) Kyung-eun showed his fighting spirit by delivering 1⅔ innings of solid pitching."
Roh Kyung-eun is once again challenging for 30 holds and the title of hold king for two consecutive years this year. Currently on pace for 24 holds, he needs to raise his pace slightly to reach 30 holds. Given his consistent good performance, if presented with opportunities to secure more holds, he can quickly enhance his holding pace. Despite his age, Roh Kyung-eun is demonstrating what the experience and dedication of a veteran mean, and fans are eagerly anticipating how he will perform for the remainder of the season.
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