They turned a crisis into an opportunity.

KIA Tigers are doing well. On the 22nd, they secured a come-from-behind victory of 5-4 against SSG Landers in Incheon. They've achieved a stunning six-game winning streak (including one tie) and are on a steep upward trajectory. With a season record of 38 wins, 33 losses, and 2 ties (.535), they are in fourth place. They pushed Samsung, in fifth place, down by one game, and maintained a 4.5-game gap with Hanwha, in first place.

Ahead of last week, KIA was filled with a sense of crisis. They managed to secure a winning series with 34 wins, 33 losses, and 1 tie, maintaining a winning percentage of .500 after the three-game series against NC in Changwon over the previous weekend. Their six-game series against KT and SSG was not easy. All starting pitchers for the opponents were aces. During the midweek three-game series in Gwangju, they were set to face Emanuel Jesus, So Hyung-jun, and in the weekend series in Incheon, they were up against Kim Kwang-hyun, Drew Anderson, and Mitch White, creating a hellish tunnel of ace pitchers.

It was not easy to even split the matches. However, the result was an incredible turnaround with 4 wins and 1 tie. They showcased their cohesion by scoring 6 points against the first opponent, Jesus. They allowed 3 points against So Hyung-jun first but concentrated with 4 hits and 1 walk in the 5th inning to tie the game, then secured the victory with Lee Chang-jin's go-ahead hit in the 7th inning. In the third game, they dominated 5-0, led by Oller's 7 innings of scoreless pitching.

They moved to Incheon for the weekend, but the game on the 20th was canceled due to rain, giving them a break and allowing them to avoid a matchup against White, who was scheduled to start on the 22nd among SSG's top 1-3 starters. In the game on the 21st, Choi Hyung-woo scored a leadoff 3-run home run against Kim Kwang-hyun, successfully attacking with 4 runs. It ended in a 5-5 tie, but with solid pitching from Seo Young-tak in the 2024 10th round and Rookies Lee Ho-min in 2025, they prevented a loss.

In the game on the 22nd, they scored only 1 run against Anderson, but thanks to James Neill's scoreless pitching until the 6th inning, they were able to secure the lead. Neill, who was ahead 2-0 in the 7th inning, allowed a go-ahead 3-run home run to Han Yu-seom, but with Kim Seok-hwan's two-run home run to regain the lead and Kim Ho-ryeong's sacrifice fly in the 9th inning, they won 5-4. Lee Ho-min, who took the mound in relief, enjoyed the joy of his first win. Having scored 5 points against the league's top pitcher, Cody Ponce of Hanwha, on the 8th, he passed through the ace tunnel undefeated.

With a record of 4 wins and 1 tie, they successfully maintained a winning percentage of .706 with 12 wins and 5 losses in June, ranking first. The decisive reason is found on the mound. They lead the league with an average earned run average of .319 in June. The five starting pitchers, James Neill, Adam Oller, Yang Hyun-jong, Kim Do-hyun, and Yoon Young-chul, all pitched over 5 innings, sustaining the mound. In June, the solid relief duo of Jeon Sang-hyun and Jo Sang-woo, with an ERA in the 1s, was boosted by Seo Young-tak, who also pitched with a zero ERA.

The fielders also filled the gap left by injuries to regular players. With key players such as Na Sung-bum, Kim Sun-bin, and Kim Do-young out due to injuries, and Lee Woo-sung also sent down to the 2nd team due to poor performance, Oh Sun-woo, Kim Ho-ryeong, and Kim Gyu-seong stepped up both offensively and defensively. The returning Wisdom hit 4 home runs and drove in 10 runs, while Choi Hyung-woo maintained his position as a strong cleanup hitter. Choi Won-jun also showed hitting improvement after struggling. Now, after Park Min, Kim Seok-hwan has also hit home runs, joining in on the 'gums baseball.'

KIA is expected to continue their upward momentum due to the strength of their pitching staff. While the fatigue symptoms of closer Jeong Hae-young are a variable, with the return of Kim Do-young, Na Sung-bum, and Kim Sun-bin in the second half, their batting lineup could also strengthen. The players who filled the gaps have naturally improved in skills, thickening the depth of the team. If Lee Eui-ri, who threw 151 km in his first start after elbow surgery, joins in the second half, they may compete seriously for the lead. The defending champions, regaining their prowess, are stirring the landscape.

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