Close friends felled by hit-by-pitches → "We didn't want to lose": Kim Geon-woo grew stronger, 'SSG 02's special friendship' fuels second win of the season

*This content was translated by AI.

"(Late) Myeong-jun and (Jo) Hyung-woo were hit by pitches and had to leave the game... so we didn't want to lose."

The 2002-born close friends who had reliably supported Kim Geon-woo were sidelined early in the game due to hit-by-pitches. This became the catalyst that made Kim Geon-woo (24, SSG Landers) even stronger.

On the 18th, Kim Geon-woo started against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game. He pitched 5⅔ innings, throwing 91 pitches, allowing 3 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, striking out 4, and giving up 3 earned runs to secure his second win of the season.

SSG, which had fallen into a six-game losing streak, now boasts a three-game winning streak and improved to 10 wins and 7 losses, propelling them into sole fourth place.

Kim Geon-woo retired the side in order in the first inning. In the second, with two outs, he allowed a hit to Seo Ho-cheol following Choi Jung's error, creating a crisis with runners on first and second and two outs. He then induced Kim Hyung-jun to fly out to left field, ending the inning without allowing a run.

In the third inning, Kim Geon-woo hit Choi Jeong-won with a pitch and issued a walk to Kim Ju-won, followed by a wild pitch. With no outs and runners on second and third, he allowed a two-run double to Park Min-woo, giving up two runs. However, he regained composure, inducing Matt Davidson to fly out to left field and getting Park Geon-woo to ground into a double play to third base, erasing further runs.

In the fourth inning, he retired four batters in a row, including two strikeouts. In the fifth, he recorded another three-up, three-down inning. In the sixth, he quickly recorded two outs before Lee Woo-seong hit a solo home run over the left-field wall off a fastball that moved in. He then handed the ball to Kim Min.

Fortunately, the team rallied in the fourth inning, scoring four runs including a three-run home run by Choi Ji-hoon to take the lead. Choi Jung, who had committed an error earlier, hit a home run in the fifth inning, putting the team ahead 5-3 before Kim Min retired the sixth inning without allowing a run, securing the victory conditions. The offense added two runs in the eighth and four in the ninth, allowing Kim to celebrate a satisfying win.

After the game, Kim Geon-woo stated through the team: "(Late) Myeong-jun and (Jo) Hyung-woo were hit by pitches and had to leave the game, which made me feel a sense of responsibility. That became the driving force behind my determination to pitch harder. I didn't want to lose."

He also said: "During the Jamsil game last time, (Choi) Ji-hoon hyung' couldn't protect the lead, so I'm sorry.' He apologized. Then, this time, Ji-hoon hyung hit a home run and 'scored one run', which gave me strength." This refers to the game on the 11th against the LG Twins, where Kim pitched 6 innings allowing only 1 run and held a 2-1 lead before handing the ball over in the seventh inning. However, the fielders committed consecutive errors in the seventh and eighth innings, ultimately allowing the opponent to take the lead. Today, Choi Ji-hoon stepped up as an elite helper.

Although sidelined by hit-by-pitches, his close friends provided significant support. After the third-inning runs, Jo Hyung-woo visited the mound with the coaching staff and engaged in a lengthy conversation. Kim Geon-woo recalled: "I gave up a walk and brought about a crisis. When Hyung-woo came up, he said, 'Let's start over now. Let's focus on extending the inning.' Thanks to that, I was able to continue pitching. (Late) Myeong-jun also kept comforting me whenever I lost focus. From the middle of today's game, (Oh) Tae-gon senior took over for me. Thanks to my teammates, I was able to pitch well." He expressed his gratitude.

Although he started the season as the team's only domestic ace, his progress has been smooth. Kim Geon-woo said: "Rather than wins, I want to deliver a quality start every time I take the mound. My goal is to pitch at least 6 innings." He added: "Today, I couldn't overcome the final hurdle, which is disappointing. Still, our reliable bullpen held strong, and the team won. I want to continue showing good performances in the future."

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*This content was translated by AI.