Did you really know 'KIA's weaknesses' → 'Captain' has a meaningful word. "Whenever we come to our stadium... "It's not good at all"

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers' 'captain' Oh Tae-gon (35) has been crowned the hero of the opening game for the second consecutive year. In particular, "KIA Closer" Jung Hae-young confessed that he was confident by saying that it was not good to come to Incheon.

SSG came from behind to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with 7-6 in the opening game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season against the KIA Tigers at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 28th.

With this victory, SSG succeeded in its opening victory since its foundation and in its fifth consecutive victory (2022-2026). This is the new record for the most consecutive wins in the opening game of the club, including the days of the full-length SK Wyverns.

SSG was dragged 0-5 until the sixth inning due to KIA starter James Nail's good pitching. However, shortly after the nail went down, he gradually began to fight back in the seventh inning. In the chance to load the bases with no outs, Cho Hyung-woo's ground ball and foil were tied to make up two runs. With two outs and a runner on second base, SSG took out the ' pinch hitter O Tae-gon' card. Here, Oh Tae-gon hit a timely hit in the left-center against KIA bullpen Sung Young-tak, chasing by 3-5, two points.

In the end, the game was decided in the ninth inning. SSG is trailing 3-6 on the second and third bases with one out. Oh Tae-gon, who entered the batter's box again, hit a slider against KIA closer Jung Hae-young and hit a timely hit with two RBIs. It was the moment when SSG chased closely by 6-5, one point.

SSG went on to draw Park Sung-han's walk against the changed pitcher Jo Sang-woo. Heredia then hit a timely hit to the left to bring the game to 6-6. The next batter, Choi Jung, drew a walk to continue the bases-loaded opportunity, and SSG won a thrilling walk-off victory as Cho Sang-woo committed a wild pitch during the subsequent Kim Jae-hwan at-bat.

Oh's performance on the day was two hits in two at-bats, three RBIs and one run. It was even a performance that came out as a pinch-hitter. Oh Tae-gon also hit a pinch-hit come-from-behind two-run shot in the eighth inning against the Doosan Bears in the opening game last season. And until this day's game, he became SSG's opening hero for the second consecutive year.

In an interview with reporters after the game, Oh Tae-gon said, "My team changed to Landers and won all the opening games, and when I was the captain, I was worried that the record would be broken. I'm happy to continue the record," he said.

Oh Tae-gon said, "First of all, the coach gave me a word in advance," regarding the situation of taking the batter's box twice. He said he would go out if he had a chance at the (Jung) Jun-jae's at-bat. pitcher Sung Young-tak was warming up in the bullpen, so I analyzed a little and went in. I think it fits well," he said.

"In the case of the second at-bat, our team knows a little bit. Our players know very well that it is not good for Jung Hae-young to come to our Landers Stadium. So I thought I might flip it. When I saw him throw it, it was a little bad. So I said let's see how the ball comes first, but I didn't have much strength and the slider wasn't sharp. So I hit it thinking I could hit it, but I think the quality of the ball was lucky and it became a hit," he said.

In fact, Jung Hae-young was bad at Landers Field last season with two losses and a 7.71 ERA without a win. In the 2024 season, he was very bad with one loss and an 11.57 ERA in three games. Oh Tae-gon's remarks can be interpreted as seeing through the weaknesses of the opponent's closure.

Currently, Oh Tae-gon is the temporary captain in place of Kim Kwang-hyun, the "eternal ace" who left due to shoulder surgery. He said, "(Kim) Kwang-hyun was very sorry. He said he would take good care of me, adding, "I'll keep it until my brother returns from rehabilitation safely and becomes the captain again."

Oh Tae-gon says he usually has a joking scuffle with coach Lee Soo-yong over his appointment as a main player. He said, "I'm trying to ask the coach to send me out as the main player, but he's adamant that I can't. However, in fact, if you go as a starter, the result is not good, so there is nothing to say.(Laughs) It's not easy to play as a substitute, but I'm constantly moving, analyzing, and preparing so that my body doesn't harden," he said, showing a humble attitude.

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*This content was translated by AI.