'Most Consecutive Losses in Franchise History' Kiwoom Heroes Face 11-Game Losing Streak; Kim Geon-hee and Im Byung-wook Return to Rotation; Kim Sung-jin Removed from Roster for Examination After Being Hit by a Pitch

*This content was translated by AI.

Facing a crisis of an 11-game losing streak, Kiwoom Heroes deploy right-handed starting pitcher Ha Young-min, who has returned from injury, to set up a defensive line. With Kim Geon-hee and Im Byung-wook, who have completed injury recovery and conditioning adjustments, returning to the starting lineup, Kim Sung-jin, who was hit by a pitch during the previous day's (26th) game, has been removed from the first-division roster for a status check.

Kiwoom will play an away game against NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on the 27th. After surrendering a 4-11 loss on the 26th, falling into a 10-game losing streak and standing on the brink of the worst-case scenario of setting a franchise record for most consecutive losses, the heavy responsibility of saving the team rests on his shoulders.

Ha Young-min, who was removed from the first-division roster due to blister symptoms on his fingers after appearing in the Samsung game on the 16th, returns to the mound after skipping one turn. Coincidentally, since Ha Young-min was sidelined from the lineup, Kiwoom has not won a single game. Ha Young-min has recorded 2 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 4.50 in 13 games this season. Although he has no wins and two losses against NC this season, his pitching performance has been stable with an ERA of 1.93, so expectations are high for his return game performance.

To break the losing streak, Kiwoom is making changes to its lineup and going all out. Today, Kiwoom's starting lineup consists of Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Park Chan-hyuk (right fielder), Im Byung-wook (center fielder), Hui-ra (designated hitter), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Choo Jae-hyun (left fielder), An Chi-hong (first baseman), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Yeo Dong-wook (third baseman). Kim Geon-hee and Im Byung-wook, who were excluded from the starting lineup the previous day (26th), immediately returned to the starting lineup, adding weight to the batting order. In particular, Kim Geon-hee had been given rest due to the aftereffects of a hand injury sustained in the KIA Tigers game on the 25th.

The opponent they face at the crossroads of breaking the losing streak is no pushover. NC will start left-handed ace Koo Chang-mo. Koo Chang-mo boasts a difficult repertoire with 7 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 3.51 this season.

In particular, Koo Chang-mo has appeared in three games against Kiwoom this season, posting 3 wins with no losses and an ERA of 0.95, demonstrating an overwhelming record as a nemesis. It is expected that whether the recently sluggish Kiwoom batting lineup can relieve Ha Young-min's burden by scoring the first run will be the turning point of the game.

Meanwhile, right-handed relief pitcher Kim Sung-jin, who suffered severe bruising after being hit by a pitch, was removed from the first-division roster today. Although the swelling appears to be severe due to simple bruising visible to the naked eye, the possibility of a minor fracture or hairline crack cannot be ruled out, so an X-ray examination will be conducted to confirm his condition definitively.

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*This content was translated by AI.