'Already 3.5 games behind SSG' An Woo-jin also declares 'escape last place' challenge! "We are a team that keeps growing → We will enjoy the responsibility and pressure"

*This content was translated by AI.

"We are a team that grows even during the season. We will gladly enjoy the responsibility and pressure."

Kiwoom Heroes' 'native ace' An Woo-jin (27) showed strong confidence in the team's comeback toward 'escaping last place' immediately after delivering an overwhelming pitching performance. Beyond the perfect outing that drew high praise from the manager, the ace demonstrated a more matured spirit mentally.

On the 30th, Kiwoom secured a decisive 6-0 victory over LG Twins in a home game held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, breaking their six-game losing streak at the Gocheok home venue.

It was truly An Woo-jin who held the starting mound firmly. On this day, An Woo-jin silenced the LG lineup with an astonishing pitching performance of 5⅔ innings, 11 strikeouts, and no runs allowed, leading with a fastball clocked at a maximum speed of 156 km/h. With this win, the last-place Kiwoom closed the gap to 3.5 games behind the ninth-place SSG Landers, officially starting the engine for 'escaping last place.' Although he could have pitched six innings, he appeared to avoid overexertion since he is scheduled to start twice a week.

In particular, the 11 strikeouts recorded by An Woo-jin on this day were a symbolic indicator of his perfect revival. An Woo-jin achieved a double-digit strikeout count for the 13th time in his career, and an impressive 1,069 days after his previous double-digit strikeout performance on July 27, 2023, against Hanwha at Gocheok (8 innings, 10 strikeouts, no runs allowed). A single-game record of 11 strikeouts is the fourth time in his career, including games against KT at Gocheok on July 11, 2023. His personal single-game record for most strikeouts is 12, achieved twice, including against NC at Changwon on April 7, 2023.

An Woo-jin, who became the winning pitcher (2 wins) for the first time since the May 2 game against Doosan, shared his thoughts after the game when meeting with on-site reporters. He said, "I was worried about the long losing streak and the lack of luck, but I am really happy to win in front of home fans after such a long time."

On this day, An Woo-jin showcased his incredible strikeout ability in the early innings, putting on a strikeout show. Although he did not complete six innings, he managed to record 11 strikeouts. Regarding this, An Woo-jin said, "Today's concept was simply to 'get quick decisions.' Before the game, I discussed with the catcher (Kim) Geon-hee that we should make quick decisions without wasting any first pitches, and he provided amazing leadership." He added, "Reflecting on past games, I realized we had too many wasted pitches, and today's effort to reduce those pitches was effective," attributing the secret to his perfect outing to the battery's coordination.

There was also a regrettable moment where the flow was interrupted by a hit-by-pitch while continuing the record-breaking strikeout streak. Regarding this, An Woo-jin calmly responded, "I tried to throw deep inside, which resulted in a hit-by-pitch," and showed the composure of an ace by stating, "I have no regret at all about the (personal record) strikeout count."

Currently, he is strictly managing his pitch count under 100 pitches. He coldly noted, "My condition and balance are still in a process of fluctuating even during the game."

Looking toward the second half of the season, Kiwoom released foreign pitcher Nathan Wills and signed Matt Davidson, opting for a two-foreign-batter system. Now, the team will face the season with a five-starting-pitcher rotation including An Woo-jin, Raul Alcantara, Ha Young-min, Bae Dong-hyun, and Park Jun-hyun.

Regarding this, An Woo-jin said, "As a starting pitcher, the sense of responsibility is always in my mind. When I step onto the mound, it is natural for all five starters to want to win. I must carry that burden, and if possible, I will enjoy it just like the burden," while smiling.

Although Kiwoom remains in last place, An Woo-jin sees a bright future for the team. Recently, An Woo-jin revealed that the team held a player meeting centered on Seo Geon-chang. Regarding the second-half comeback, he said, "This was also mentioned when we gathered with the seniors, but our team's greatest strength is that 'we have many young players and are a team that keeps growing.'" He added, "We are continuing to grow even during the season. The juniors have well understood this point and are focusing carefully on each game. I am confident we will be able to show even better performances in the future."

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*This content was translated by AI.