'Most consecutive losses after acquisition' SSG, meets 'nemesis or escape route' Choi Won-tae again at the brink of a 9-game losing streak

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers has once again fallen into a deep losing streak, tying the franchise record for most consecutive losses since inception. Standing in the way of SSG, which is in a desperate situation, is none other than Samsung Lions right-hander Choi Won-tae (29), who was both the victim who helped them break their previous 8-game losing streak and their nemesis.

Under the leadership of manager Lee Sung-yong (55), SSG lost 1-4 to Samsung Lions in a home game held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 27th. With this defeat, SSG failed to win in eight consecutive games, starting with a 4-6 loss to LG at home on the 17th, recording an '8-game losing streak.'

An 8-game losing streak is not unprecedented under manager Lee Sung-yong, who took charge ahead of the 2024 season. Just two years ago, the team endured an 8-game losing streak from the May 19 game against Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome through the May 29 game against LG at Munhak Stadium. On May 30, 2024, in the Munhak LG game, SSG barely avoided a 9-game losing streak, thanks to a strong 6-inning, 2-run performance by foreign pitcher Drew Anderson (Detroit Tigers). The game-winning hit at that time was a two-run home run over the center field fence by Choi Jeong in the bottom of the 6th inning with no outs and a runner on second base, while trailing 1-2. That home run was hit against Choi Won-tae.

Since acquiring SK Wyverns in 2021 and re-establishing the team as SSG Landers, an 8-game losing streak is tied for the most consecutive losses in the team's history. Even looking back to the SK era, losing streaks of 9 games or more have occurred only three times: 11 consecutive losses and 9 consecutive losses under manager Kang Byung-chul in 2000, 9 consecutive losses under manager Kim Yong-hee in 2016, and 11 consecutive losses under manager Yeom Kyung-yeop and interim manager Park Kyung-wan in 2020. Such long losing streaks are rare. If SSG loses the game on the 28th as well, they will write an infamous history as the first 9-game losing streak since the acquisition.

In this life-or-death crisis, the starting pitcher SSG faces is coincidentally Choi Won-tae once again. Interestingly, Choi Won-tae has a significant connection with SSG's losing streaks. On May 30, 2024, when SSG broke its first-ever 8-game losing streak, the opposing losing pitcher was Choi Won-tae, the starting pitcher for LG. At that time, SSG's lineup successfully attacked Choi Won-tae and tasted the joy of escaping the losing streak. Choi Won-tae took the loss after pitching 6 innings, allowing 6 hits (1 home run), striking out 3 batters, and giving up 4 runs (3 earned runs). For SSG, this means Choi Won-tae is associated with good memories at the brink of a long losing streak.

However, complacency is not an option. In fact, Choi Won-tae has shown strong performance against SSG's lineup. Including his time with SK, Choi Won-tae has appeared in 34 games (33 starts) against SSG, compiling a career record of 11 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 3.36. He was the strongest among the 10th teams he faced. He also logged the most innings pitched, totaling 184⅔ innings. His opponents' OPS (on-base plus slugging) was also the lowest at 0.659. This data suggests Choi Won-tae has every reason to be confident. There is also a strong trend of SSG struggling against Choi Won-tae's two-seam fastball since his SK days.

In fact, there is no place to retreat. Meeting Choi Won-tae at the brink of a 9-game losing streak is both a crisis and an opportunity for SSG. Will SSG, recalling memories from two years ago, knock down Choi Won-tae and fire the starting gun for a comeback, or will they plunge into the deepest losing streak since the acquisition? Baseball fans are watching this fateful match, where the fate of Lee Sung-yong's team hangs in the balance.

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*This content was translated by AI.