"It was a game harmonized with the balance of pitching and batting."
Kia Tigers jumped to second place with an overwhelming momentum. They achieved a decisive 13-0 victory against the Lotte Giants in the 2025 professional baseball game held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 5th. With their recent three-game winning streak, they overtook the joint second-place LG Twins and Lotte, who lost to the Samsung Lions in Daegu, and climbed to second place.
They had fallen to the bottom at one point in April. After the season opener, the bullpen became unstable due to the thigh injury of star player Kim Do-young, and the batting lineup continued to remain silent, leading to poor performances. Kim Do-young was injured again a month after his return, and compounded with the injuries to Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin, it seemed like the defending champion was losing its formidable presence.
However, the minor leaguers such as outfielders Oh Seon-woo and Kim Ho-ryeong, and pitchers Seong Young-tak and Lee Ho-min showed resolve and filled in the gaps in the team's strength. By leading with tenacious and fighting baseball, they soared to first place in winning percentage in June and continued their upward trend into July, eventually reaching second place. They chased closely behind the leading Hanwha Eagles.
On that day, the hero of victory on the mound was starter Kim Do-hyun. He firmly held the mound until the 7th inning, striking out 3 hits and 2 walks with no runs, earning his 4th win of the season. Although he received help from some remarkable defensive plays, he succeeded in a quality start plus with his sinking fastball throwing.
The batting lineup celebrated with a home run party from the early innings. Ko Jong-wook hit a lead-off home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the 1st inning, signaling an explosive game ahead. Following that, Patrick Wisdom hit a solo homer to right field, marking his 18th of the season, for the second consecutive day, adding fuel to the fire. Kia scored 8 runs in the 5th inning, leading 5-0 to firmly secure the victory, recording a total of 17 hits including hits from all starting batters.
Kim Ho-ryeong exploded fearlessly. He became the lead-off hitter in the bottom of the 2nd inning, hitting a solo home run to center field, and then in the bottom of the 5th, he hit a grand slam. He hit his first career grand slam and added a multi-home run, finishing the game with 3 hits and 5 RBIs, having the best day of his life. Wisdom also added a double and a hit for a total of 3 hits and 3 RBIs, beginning to show a steep upward trajectory.
After the game, manager Lee Beom-ho evaluated, "It was a game harmonized with the balance of pitching and batting." He noted, "On the mound, starter Kim Do-hyun took charge for 7 innings, giving his best performance. I hope he rests well until the All-Star break and continues to perform as he did in the first half in the second half."
He also praised, "Without a doubt, Kim Ho-ryeong's performance stood out in the batting lineup. With 5 RBIs including a grand slam, he led the team's offense well. He has been a great help in both offense and defense. Ko Jong-wook also showed good performance with 3 RBIs including a lead-off home run in the 1st inning, and Wisdom did his part in the heart of the lineup."
Finally, he expressed gratitude, saying, "This victory is even more meaningful as it was achieved while giving rest to our key pitchers. I appreciate all the players for their hard work in this hot weather, and I also thank the fans who supported us until the end." Kia will challenge for a series sweep and their 4th consecutive win with substitute starter Kim Geon-guk on the 6th.
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