Shirakawa collapses... 'Bullpen Lee Ui-ri + Closer Jo Sang-woo' hold the line... Will these secret cards help them overcome the "fourth-place limit"?

*This content was translated by AI.

This was not an ordinary victory. The KIA Tigers' first win of the second half carried special significance.

Under manager Lee Beom-ho (45), the KIA defeated the SSG Landers 6-3 in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 17th.

Despite starting with a loss the previous day, the win kept them at fourth place with a record of 46 wins, 40 losses, and 2 ties. They are now four games behind third-place KT Wiz. Given that KIA needed a clear turning point, this victory held significant meaning.

First, the KIA started Shirakawa Keisho on the mound. While it would have been standard to start Adam Oller yesterday and James Neill today, manager Lee Beom-ho chose Shirakawa instead.

Shirakawa had recorded 2 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 4.88 over seven games. He was a pitcher who could not even guarantee five innings. Manager Lee Beom-ho had planned scenarios for before and after Shirakawa's removal, anticipating his exit prior to the fifth inning.

Nevertheless, the reason for deploying Shirakawa was clear. The manager stated, "If we pair Oller and Neill together, there is a high probability of consecutive losses in games where neither starts as the opening pitcher." He added, "We sometimes use both pitchers even outside their starting roles to extend their usage, but that only buys us one day. If rain comes later, we might pull Neill back into action. Considering all factors, I decided it would be better to separate them. Since Neill hasn't had a single day off, giving him an extra day of rest seemed advantageous."

Shirakawa did not even complete four innings. After allowing two walks with two outs in the fourth inning, the KIA bench made a move. Over 3⅔ innings, he allowed five hits, three walks, and three earned runs, performing poorly. Manager Lee Beom-ho had originally planned to have Lee Ui-ri take over in the fifth inning after Shirakawa exited at the end of the fourth, but he sent Lee Ui-ri into action with runners on base—just one day after his bullpen debut.

There was no hesitation. Lee Ui-ri threw a fastball clocking up to 154 km/h and a sharp slider. Just those two pitches were enough to dominate the SSG lineup. He struck out Park Sung-han, the batter with the best contact ability on the SSG team, to finish the fifth inning. He then returned in the sixth, striking out Go Myeong-jun, Jeon Ui-san, and even Kim Jae-hwan, who was caught by a pop fly to third base.

With a two-run lead, the KIA entrusted the seventh inning to Jung Hae-young, followed by Jeon Sang-hyun in the eighth, and Jo Sang-woo in the ninth. Sung Young-tak, who had served as the primary closer this season, recently struggled with form. Manager Lee Beom-ho had announced a collective closing system since the end of the first half, so he gave Jo Sang-woo the opportunity for the first save of the second half.

Jo Sang-woo, who recorded 33 saves in 2020 and earned the relief pitcher championship, has extensive experience. After joining KIA last year, he accumulated 28 holds while working behind the primary closer. When the KIA bullpen began to waver this season, he was given a chance.

Despite holding a three-run lead, the situation was not easy. Heavy rain suddenly began to fall in the ninth inning. The first batter sent up as a pinch hitter, Oh Tae-gon, hit a double. Whether due to the rain or other factors, he struggled with control and issued a walk to Jo Hyung-woo on a straight pitch.

With no outs and runners on first and second, he struck out Jung Jun-jae looking with a backdoor slider. He then retired the most difficult batter, Park Sung-han, with a fly ball to left field. Later, he walked Go Myeong-jun again, creating a bases-loaded, two-out crisis. However, he induced a groundout to the second baseman from Hong Dae-in and ultimately secured a scoreless save.

They managed to win even after using a fifth starter as their second starting pitcher in the second half. The key factor was the emergence of new cards not seen in the first half: "bullpen ace Lee Ui-ri" and "closer Jo Sang-woo." This is highly encouraging. Lee Ui-ri, who had 28 wins since his debut, earned his first win as a relief pitcher. Jo Sang-woo added a save for the first time in 324 days since August 27 last year against SSG.

After the game, manager Lee Beom-ho praised, "All pitchers who appeared on the mound delivered strong performances. Especially Lee Ui-ri, who pitched on consecutive days, contributed significantly to the team's victory with his stable pitching."

He continued, "It was a tough game, and all players worked hard. I also want to thank the visiting fans who supported us until the end. We will play well again tomorrow," he vowed.

The KIA have maintained fourth place since mid-May. While this is a position that could lead to the playoffs, there are no signs of climbing higher, which is somewhat disappointing. To address this, they need something beyond their current roster. In that regard, the bullpen pitcher Lee Ui-ri and closer Jo Sang-woo, confirmed today, could become new hopes for KIA in the remaining season, generating expectations.

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*This content was translated by AI.