Lee Jeong-hoo appears on the Gocheok scoreboard! "I'll cheer from afar," even heroes respond, securing a 3-game winning streak for the first time in 294 days and overtaking Lotte to escape last place

*This content was translated by AI.

The Heroes' momentum is extraordinary. The Kiwoom Heroes have finally escaped last place and are on a remarkable upward trend. In response to a cheering message from Lee Jeong-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), the team's "major leaguer," the players also responded.

On the 22nd, Kiwoom secured a 3-0 victory over NC in a home game held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, in the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League." The pitching staff held firm to secure the win.

With this victory, Kiwoom achieved a three-game winning streak for the first time in 249 days since their win against KT at Gocheok on August 16, 2025. On the same day, Lotte Giants lost to Doosan Bears at Sajik Stadium, allowing Kiwoom to push Lotte out of last place.

Especially before the game, a special guest's greeting heated up Gocheok Dome. Just before San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie threw the ceremonial first pitch, Lee Jeong-hoo, the "eternal hero," was unexpectedly revealed on the scoreboard. Lee's sincere message of supporting his hometown team from a foreign country was enough to deeply move the fans and players who filled Gocheok. Kiwoom fans were busy capturing the moment on their cameras.

Through the scoreboard video, Lee Jeong-hoo said, "It feels like it's been a long time since I greeted Kiwoom fans. I heard today is a meaningful day to commemorate the precious bond between Seoul and San Francisco, two cities I love. Just as Seoul and San Francisco share a special connection, I hope everyone will cheer for Kiwoom Heroes to achieve good results today. I will also always cheer for Kiwoom from afar with the same heart as the fans."

Kiwoom's victory on this day was thanks to perfect pitching management. Starter Raul Alcantara laid the foundation for victory by dominating the NC lineup with 8 scoreless innings, and closer Yuto, who followed, perfectly secured the win by closing the door.

After the game, manager Seol Jong-jin praised the foreign duo's performance, saying, "Alcantara delivered an unparalleled perfect pitching performance. He took responsibility for long innings and led today's victory. Yuto also secured the win with excellent pitching."

The batting lineup showed remarkable focus. Kiwoom opened the scoring in the bottom of the 5th inning with a double by leadoff hitter Lim Ji-yeol, followed by a sacrifice fly from Kim Geon-hee and a base hit from Lee Hyung-jong to take an early lead. In the 6th, Choi Ju-hwan drew an intentional walk, and in the 7th, Park Ju-hong's go-ahead RBI hit crushed NC's pursuit.

Manager Seol commented, "The process of scoring the first run in the 5th was excellent, and we were able to solidify our lead by adding more runs. Thanks to the fans' enthusiastic support, we were able to continue our three-game winning streak. We will prepare well for tomorrow's game as well."

Captain Lim Ji-yeol's performance was also outstanding. Leading the offense with consecutive extra-base hits over two days, Lim said, "Opposing starter Shin Min-hyuk's pitching was good, which made it tough, but as a leadoff hitter, I tried to survive in any way, which led to good results. There will come a time when our winning streak ends, but even if we lose, I want to extend this momentum as much as possible."

With the three-game winning streak and escape from last place, Kiwoom will now challenge their first series sweep of the season against NC on the 23rd. Kiwoom has announced Kim Yeon-ju as the starting pitcher, while NC has announced Koo Chang-mo.

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*This content was translated by AI.