'Crazy!' KIA's explosive 5-game winning streak → 'Title race' in sight? Commanding coach erupts in praise: "Every player who took the field played well" [Gocheok On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers surged to an explosive five-game winning streak by defeating the Kiwoom Heroes.

On the 27th, at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, KIA secured a decisive 9-2 victory in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game against Kiwoom, led by ace James Neale's strong pitching and four solo home runs.

With this win, KIA achieved a five-game winning streak, improving their record to 27 wins, 1 tie, and 22 losses. The team remains in sole fourth place in the league standings. KIA has narrowed the gap to the third-place KT Wiz by 1.5 games while extending their lead over the fifth-place Hanwha Eagles to 3.5 games. The gap to the league-leading Samsung Lions stands at three games. KIA has now positioned itself as a serious contender for the title. Meanwhile, Kiwoom finished with a record of 20 wins, 1 tie, and 30 losses, failing to escape last place. The team has now fallen into a four-game losing streak.

KIA's starting pitcher Neale recorded 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, issuing 4 walks, striking out 8 batters, and surrendering just 1 earned run, securing his second win of the season (now 4 losses). Neale earned his first victory since April 10, a span of 47 days following a game against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles. Following him, Han Jae-seung (1 scoreless inning) and Lee Hyung-beom (1 inning, 3 hits allowed, 1 run allowed) pitched in succession to preserve the team's win. In the lineup that generated 9 hits, Park Jae-hyun and Na Sung-beom (4 RBIs) both recorded multi-hit games.

In contrast, Kiwoom's starter Raul Alcantara took the loss after pitching 7⅓ innings, allowing 5 hits (4 home runs), issuing 4 walks, striking out 8 batters, and surrendering 5 earned runs. He was followed by Kim Seo-jun (⅓ inning, 3 runs allowed) and Park Jin-hyeong (1⅓ inning, 1 run allowed). In the Kiwoom lineup, which also recorded 9 hits, Im Byung-wook and Kim Geon-hee succeeded in multi-hit games.

For this game, KIA set its starting lineup as follows: Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Adellin (first baseman), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Han Jun-su (designated hitter), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Min (shortstop). Neale was the starting pitcher.

In response, Kiwoom arranged its starting lineup as: Seo Geon-chang (designated hitter), An Chi-hong (second baseman), Im Byung-wook (right fielder), Choi Ju-hwan (first baseman), Lee Hyung-jong (left fielder), Kim Woong-bin (third baseman), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Park Ju-hong (center fielder). Raul Alcantara was the starting pitcher.

In the first inning, both teams exchanged one run each. In the top of the first, KIA's leadoff batter Park Jae-hyun targeted Alcantara's first-pitch fastball and hit a solo arch over the center-field fence (his eighth of the season). In response, in the bottom of the first, Kiwoom's leadoff batter Seo Geon-chang hit a ground ball to right field for a hit. After one out, Im Byung-wook's hit created a bases-loaded opportunity with runners on first and third, and Choi Ju-hwan hit a two-run single to tie the game.

In the top of the fourth, with one out and no runners on base, Kim Do-young launched a solo home run over the left-center field fence (his 14th of the season), giving KIA a 2-1 lead. With this home run, Kim Do-young maintained sole possession of the league lead in home runs.

Following this, both teams' starting pitchers delivered strong performances, leading to a tense pitching duel. However, in the eighth inning, KIA erupted for seven runs, sealing the outcome of the game.

Leadoff batter Na Sung-beom (his eighth home run of the season) and the following batter Han Jun-su (his fifth home run of the season) hit consecutive home runs off Alcantara, making the score 4-1.

Kim Tae-gun then hit a ground ball to center field for a hit, but Park Min struck out. Kiwoom replaced Alcantara with Kim Seo-jun. KIA continued to create a bases-loaded opportunity with runners on first and second after Park Jae-hyun's hit. Kim Ho-ryeong struck out on three pitches, resulting in the second out.

However, a series of walks soon followed, causing Kiwoom's bullpen to collapse. Kim Do-young drew a walk, and Adellin scored a run on a bases-loaded walk, which was a straight walk. As the pitcher changed from Kim Seo-jun to Park Jin-hyeong, Jung Hyun-chang drew another bases-loaded walk. Then, Na Sung-beom, who came to bat next, hit a three-run double to drive in three runs, making the score 9-1 and effectively sealing the victory.

Kiwoom managed to score one run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Kim Geon-hee's two-run single to right field, but that was all. KIA will now face the series again on the 28th with Hwang Dong-ha starting, aiming for a consecutive series sweep. Kiwoom will counter with Rosenberg on the mound, hoping to break their four-game losing streak.

After the game, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, dubbed the "winning coach," said, "In a tight pitching duel between the starters, Neale did not yield. The batters hit home runs at crucial moments, allowing us to secure the victory." He continued, "Neale delivered effective pitching as expected by the coaching staff, holding opponents to minimal runs over seven innings. That was the performance of an ace. The pitching staff has been stable throughout the winning streak." He did not hold back his praise.

Manager Lee added, "In the offense, Park Jae-hyun set the tone with a home run in the top of the first. When additional runs were needed, Kim Do-young, Na Sung-beom, and Han Jun-su supported the team's scoring with home runs. Na Sung-beom was particularly outstanding with four RBIs." He concluded, "It was a game where every player who took the field played well. Everyone worked hard, and I would like to thank the fans who supported us."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.