"The competitive spirit is strong."
KIA Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho praised the performance of right-handed pitcher Seong Young-tak, who is writing a miracle story in the 10th round, and ordered the winning squad to be on standby. In the game against the Lotte Giants at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 4th, he called in the winning man Jeon Sang-hyun to help secure two outs, preventing additional runs.
James Nail, appearing for the first time in 12 days, pitched six shutout innings and handed the baton to Jeon Sang-hyun with a 2-0 lead. However, Jeon Sang-hyun allowed a two-run double to Jung Hoon with one out and runners on first and second base, allowing the game to tie. KIA immediately entrusted the relief to Seong Young-tak. He forced Jeon Min-jae into a groundout to second base, and Yoo Kang-nam into a flyout to center field.
He quickly secured two outs in seven pitches. He engaged only with cutters and two-seam fastballs, aiming to induce ground balls or weak pop-ups. He showed determination by throwing a two-seam fastball with a maximum speed of 147 km/h against Yoo Kang-nam. He demonstrated his competitive spirit, determined not to allow any additional runs, as it could flip the momentum.
Jo Sang-woo came in to pitch in the eighth inning but allowed three runs, leading to a turnaround. However, the lineup erupted in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run home run from Patrick Wisdom and scored five runs to achieve a comeback victory. It was no easy comeback against the strong bullpen of Lotte, including Choi Jun-yong. Seong Young-tak's strong performance in preventing additional runs also served as a foundation for the comeback win.
Manager Lee praised Seong Young-tak's performance ahead of the game against Lotte on the 5th. "Perhaps because it was a crucial situation, he showed more speed. I told him not to throw hard, but he wanted to win and pitched his best. Though he’s a young player, he seems to possess competitiveness and boldness," he noted. This year, he has appeared in 19 games, pitching 22⅓ innings with an earned run average of 0.81.
On this day, Seong Young-tak will be on standby as part of the winning squad for the eighth and ninth innings under the unwavering trust of the manager. Manager Lee stated, "Jeon Sang-hyun, Jo Sang-woo, and Jeong Hae-young will pitch in consecutive games, meaning everyone else will rest today. Starter Kim Do-hyun needs to pitch as many innings as possible. Depending on the opposing batters, we will utilize Choi Ji-min, Kim Dae-yu, Seong Young-tak, and Lee Ho-min. If a right-handed batter comes up, we’ll use Young-tak and then bring in Ji-min."
The KIA starting lineup includes Go Jong-wook (left fielder), Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Wisdom (third baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Oh Sun-woo (first baseman), Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Han Jun-soo (catcher), and Kim Gyu-seong (second baseman). The starting pitcher will be Kim Do-hyun. Lotte's starting pitcher, Park Se-woong, will be seeking his 10th victory in three years.
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