'We broke the 13th-game losing streak, but now we're in an 8-game slump again,' Lee Sung-yong: "All I can say is sorry... The whole team is out of sync"

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers, which had broken its club-record longest losing streak of 13 consecutive games, has once again fallen into an 8-game slump. Head coach Lee Sung-yong (55) acknowledged the team's overall crisis while expressing his apologies to fans.

Manager Lee Sung-yong of SSG Landers met with reporters ahead of the home game against Samsung Lions in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 5th, conveying his heavy feelings: "All I can say to our fans is that we are truly sorry."

The day before (on the 4th), SSG lost to Samsung 7-13, suffering an 8-game losing streak. They had taken a 6-2 lead in the top of the 4th inning but collapsed after allowing eight runs, failing to break their losing streak.

When asked about the team's biggest recent problem, Manager Lee pointed not to underperformance in a specific area but to a collapse in overall team balance. "It's not just yesterday's game; everything has been off recently. It's hard to pinpoint any single issue," he said. "We've tried various approaches, such as quickly changing starting pitchers and bringing in reliable relievers like Kwon Oh-jun to shift the momentum, but defense, bullpen, and starting pitching are all out of sync."

He further cited psychological contraction and impatience within the player group due to the losing streak. "The team's overall movement has become timid and lacks boldness. The desire to break the streak has left both bodies and minds tense," he explained. "When the starting pitcher cannot hold out and pitch counts rise, fielders spend more time in defensive positions. This creates a vicious cycle where concentration inevitably drops. Pitchers, trying too hard to avoid being hit, struggle with count battles and ultimately end up getting hit."

To address the crisis, SSG Landers initiated personnel changes. They removed struggling Asian quota pitcher Shota Takeda from the first-division roster and called up left-handed pitcher Baek Seung-geon. Manager Lee stated, "With only a short time remaining in the first half, we decided to remove him from the roster for now." He added, "We need to prepare for the second half while trying out new pitchers while there is still time. We will consider further adjustments to the pitcher rotation for the second half after more deliberation."

Regarding the manager's role in revitalizing team morale, he said, "I am not placing special demands or burdens on the players. I hold regular one-on-one meetings and offer encouragement; I am doing everything a manager can do." However, he emphasized, "Ultimately, it is up to the players to overcome this atmosphere within the stadium and break the streak."

He also shared updates on foreign player replacements and plans for the second half. On acquiring a new foreign pitcher, he said, "The front office is nearly finalizing the process." Regarding the Asian quota replacement card, he explained, "The current player pool is not particularly strong, but the front office is actively looking into options." Additionally, regarding expanded roster usage in the second half, he noted, "We are focusing on pitchers and considering this carefully. Since we must plan for next season as well, we intend to actively utilize young players from the minor league."

Meanwhile, facing Samsung's starting pitcher Yang Chang-seop, SSG lined up its starting lineup as follows: Park Sung-han (shortstop), Heredia (right fielder), Choi Jeong (designated hitter), Kim Jae-hwan (left fielder), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), and Jung Jun-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was left-handed Kim Geon-woo.

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*This content was translated by AI.