Kiwoom Heroes end 'club-record' 11-game losing streak! 'Ha Young-min's 7-inning gem' breaks 10-game skid → Choo Jae-hyun, Ahn Chi-hong, and Hiura home run show [Changwon On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Kiwoom Heroes defeated the NC Dinos with a 7-inning gem from starting pitcher Ha Young-min and three home runs, escaping their grueling 10-game losing streak.

On the 27th, Kiwoom won 3-1 in an away game against NC at Changwon NC Park. They secured the victory with Ahn Chi-hong's go-ahead home run in the bottom of the 7th while the score was tied 1-1.

With this win, Kiwoom emerged from the tunnel of 10 consecutive losses that began with the match against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 16th. Meanwhile, NC's three-game winning streak against Kiwoom was snapped, and they failed to carry forward the momentum from their decisive victory the previous day (26th).

Kiwoom's starting lineup for the day featured Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Park Chan-hyuk (right fielder), Im Byung-wook (center fielder), Ha-wi Hiura (designated hitter), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Choo Jae-hyun (left fielder), Ahn Chi-hong (first baseman), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Yeo Dong-wook (third baseman). Ha Young-min took the mound as the starting pitcher.

NC countered with a lineup of Shin Jae-in (first baseman), Lee Woo-seong (designated hitter), Park Min-woo (second baseman), Park Geon-woo (right fielder), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Cheon Jae-hwan (center fielder), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), and Kim Han-byul (shortstop). Their starting pitcher was left-hander Ku Chang-mo.

Kiwoom took the lead for the second consecutive day. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with two outs and no runners on base, Choo Jae-hyun connected on a 130 km/h slider (the third pitch) after a 1-ball, 1-strike count, sending it over the right-field fence. The hit traveled 110 meters. This marked Choo's second home run of the season.

However, NC evened the score in the bottom of the 6th. After one out in the inning, Shin Jae-in reached base on a walk on the fifth pitch, opening the scoring. While Lee Woo-seong was out on a grounder to the third baseman, Shin advanced to second base, setting up a scoring opportunity with two outs and a runner on second.

Park Min-woo then capitalized on Ha Young-min's second pitch, hitting a two-run single to left field. Shin, the runner from second, crossed home plate to tie the game at 1-1. This was NC's first hit of the day that resulted in a run.

But Kiwoom regained the lead in the top of the 7th. With two outs, Ahn Chi-hong crushed a slightly high, inside-out slider (127 km/h) from NC's reliever Jeon Sa-min, sending it over the left-field fence. This was Ahn's fifth home run of the season, putting Kiwoom ahead 2-1. The lead extended to 3-1, a two-run margin, after Hiura's solo home run to left field in the top of the 9th.

Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min earned the win with a stellar 7-inning performance: one hit allowed, seven strikeouts, three walks, and one earned run. In a twist of fate, he personally broke the chain of the team's 10-game losing streak that began with his own start on the 16th against Samsung. NC starter Ku Chang-mo pitched well for six innings, allowing two hits (one home run), striking out eight, and giving up one run, but he could not secure the win due to his team's lack of offense.

Kiwoom's lineup did not record any multi-hit games but scored on three solo home runs. After Ha Young-min, relievers Yoo To and Won Jong-hyun each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.

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*This content was translated by AI.