'First consecutive wins of the season': Kiwoom manager expresses gratitude, "Started the week with a victory thanks to the support of fans who visited Gocheok Dome"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes secured their first consecutive wins of the season by defeating NC Dinos despite being at a disadvantage with an opener. Seol Jong-jin (53), Kiwoom's manager, also attributed the pleasant consecutive victory to the home fans at Gocheok, expressing his gratitude.

On the 21st, Kiwoom defeated NC 2-1 in their first matchup of the season against NC at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League'. Following their victory over KT on the 19th, Kiwoom achieved two consecutive wins, securing their first consecutive wins of the season and closing the gap to 0.5 games behind 9th-place Lotte.

Today's victory for Kiwoom was the result of the fighting spirit of the 'gum-chewing' players. Oh Seok-ju, who appeared as an opener against opposing starter Drew VerHagen, responded to the manager's trust with a strong performance of 4 1/3 innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out 6, and surrendering only 1 run. Following him, Won Jong-hyun, Kim Sung-jin, Park Jeong-hoon, Kim Jae-woong, and Yuto pitched in a scoreless relay, silencing the NC lineup.

In the batting lineup, foreign hitter Brooks hit a go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the 3rd inning, taking a 1-0 lead and seizing the initiative. After allowing an equalizer in the top of the 5th inning to tie the game 1-1, Lim Ji-yeol emerged as the hero in the bottom of the 7th. With one out and a runner on first, Lim stepped up to the plate and hit a crucial two-run double that cleared the right-field fence, securing the momentum for victory.

After the game, manager Seol Jong-jin said, "Starter Oh Seok-ju pitched very well. It was impressive how he threw confidently and stopped crises with strikeouts each time. Oh Seok-ju's outstanding performance laid the foundation for today's victory," while giving a thumbs-up.

Additionally, Manager Seol did not forget to encourage the players who made records. "The relief pitchers all did their part. I sincerely congratulate Park Jeong-hoon on his first career win and Yuto on his first save," he said.

Finally, Manager Seol highlighted the fans' support as the crowning touch of the victory. "Thanks to the support of fans who visited Gocheok Dome, we were able to start this week with a victory. We are grateful and will prepare well for tomorrow's game," he said, reaffirming his resolve for the next match.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom has announced Raul Alcantara as the starting pitcher for the 22nd. In response, NC will field Shin Min-hyuk.

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*This content was translated by AI.