Lee Beom-ho: "No shock?" Sung Young-tak: "I didn't cry." KIA has become even stronger.

*This content was translated by AI.

The KIA Tigers suffered a shocking comeback loss in their match against the Suwon KT Wiz on the 20th. Leading 9-4 in the bottom of the 9th inning, closer Sung Young-tak failed to record a single out, allowing four hits and two walks, which narrowed the score to 9-8. Kim Beom-su, who came in afterward, also allowed a tying hit to Ahn Hyun-min with two outs, followed by a walk-off hit to Heilard, resulting in a 9-10 defeat.

Although they managed an 11-5 comeback victory against KT the following day, the painful memory of that loss seemed difficult to erase.

However, when Lee Beom-ho (45), KIA's manager, met ahead of the match against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd, his reaction was somewhat unexpected.

When reporters asked, "There was quite a shock on Saturday (the 20th)...", the manager smiled and replied, "Was there really a shock?" He firmly stated, "We simply lost by a narrow margin of 10-9. There was no psychological impact." He then calmly added, "The players responded well just one game later... last week is in the past."

Coincidentally, in today's match, KIA again faced a crisis in the bottom of the 9th inning while leading 7-2, a five-run difference. Kim Beom-su allowed a two-run single to Im Byung-wook and issued a walk to Kim Geon-hee, putting runners on first and second with no outs.

Despite not being in a save situation, the KIA bench immediately brought Sung Young-tak to the mound. With two outs, Sung allowed a hit to Seo Geon-chang to the left field, conceding a run to pinch-runner Park Soo-jong at second base. However, he secured a groundout from Hyura to the shortstop, preserving the 7-3 victory.

In a post-game interview with Sung Young-tak (22), the "Saturday match" remained the main topic. When reporters asked, "Your face appeared to be on the verge of tears on the broadcast screen," Sung smiled and replied, "I didn't cry. I'm not the type to cry..." He added, "I think my eyes just lost focus due to frustration."

He continued, "It was my own failure to pitch, so why would I cry? Coaches and senior players told me many encouraging words like 'Just do the same. It doesn't matter.' I simply played the game I love and slept well."

Manager Lee Beom-ho reflected on the first half of the season before the match, emphasizing unity. "I believed that if we all work together, reaching the top five is certainly possible. In a long season, the most important thing is how well the players bond and create a team that opponents feel intense pressure against," he stated.

As the saying goes, the ground hardens after rain. KIA has overcome the pain of the shocking defeat and is becoming even stronger.

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*This content was translated by AI.