'And' Kiwoom's bottom-of-the-pack surge to three straight wins! '9th' Lotte and NC tied at zero points → Alcantara's 8-inning perfect outing, NC's two-game losing streak [Gocheok On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes' momentum is terrifying. After a tense pitching duel, they displayed sharp focus to surge to three consecutive victories, laying the groundwork for escaping last place. They erased the win differential with 9th-place Lotte Giants.

On the 22nd, Kiwoom secured a 3-0 victory over NC in a home game at Gocheok Sky Dome, located in Guro-gu, Seoul. The pitching staff held firm to secure the win.

With this victory, Kiwoom extended their winning streak to three games, following their match against Suwon KT on the 19th. Meanwhile, NC suffered a two-game losing streak, ending their winning series, after their game on the previous day (21st).

Kiwoom set their starting lineup in the following order: Park Ju-hong (center field), Ahn Chi-hong (second base), Choi Ju-hwan (first base), Im Ji-yeol (left field), Lee Hyung-jong (designated hitter), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Ju Seong-won (right field), Song Ji-hoo (shortstop), and Choi Jae-young (third base). The starting pitcher was 'Ace' and foreign right-hander Raul Alcantara.

NC countered with a lineup arranged as follows: Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Choi Jeong-won (center field), Park Min-woo (second base), Park Geon-woo (designated hitter), Lee Woo-seong (left field), Davison (first base), Seo Ho-cheol (third base), Han Seok-hyun (right field), and Ahn Jung-yeol (catcher). Right-hander Shin Min-hyuk was their starting pitcher.

The game unfolded as a pitching duel. Both Alcantara and Shin Min-hyuk held NC and Kiwoom scoreless through four innings. However, Kiwoom broke the 0th-0 tie first. In the bottom of the 5th, leadoff batter Im Ji-yeol hit a double to left-center field off Shin Min-hyuk, reaching scoring position. Next, Lee Hyung-jong grounded out to first base, advancing to a one-out, bases-loaded situation. Kim Geon-hee then hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Im Ji-yeol home.

Kiwoom pulled away after the 6th inning. In the bottom of the 6th, leadoff batter Choi Jae-young drew a walk after a 12-pitch at-bat against Shin Min-hyuk. Next, Park Ju-hong also drew a walk in a full-count situation. The reliever Won Jong-hae then issued a walk to Ahn Chi-hong. With the bases loaded and no outs, Choi Ju-hwan induced a walk-off walk from Won Jong-hae.

The next batter, Im Ji-yeol, grounded out to the pitcher for a double play, failing to add to the score. In the bottom of the 7th, with two outs and runners on second and third, Park Ju-hong hit a sacrifice single to left field, extending the lead to 3-0. Kiwoom then brought in closer Yuto in the 9th to close out the game.

Kiwoom starter Alcantara was the de facto hero of the victory. Alcantara pitched a perfect 8-inning outing against NC, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts without surrendering a run. Throwing 103 pitches, his maximum velocity reached 155 km/h. NC starter Shin Min-hyuk took the loss after pitching 5 innings, allowing 1 hit, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs.

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*This content was translated by AI.