Hanwha crushed by Kiwoom, race to escape last place enters final stretch! Gap with 9th-place SSG narrows to just one game—next opponent is none other than league-leading Samsung

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes' counterattack is fierce. Having lingered at the bottom of the standings, Kiwoom displayed formidable momentum in a four-game series against Hanwha Eagles, bringing escape from last place within reach. The gap with 9th-place SSG Landers has now narrowed to just one game. There is a possibility that Kiwoom could climb to 9th place by mid-July.

Kiwoom achieved an overwhelming result of three wins and one draw in the four-game series against Hanwha held in Daejeon from the 16th through the 19th. With perfect harmony between pitching and hitting, Kiwoom dominated Hanwha and laid a solid foundation for escaping last place.

Especially impressive was the explosive power of their lineup. On the 16th, in the first game of the four-game series, Kiwoom seized early momentum with outstanding pitching by Alcántara and potent offense, securing a decisive 14-5 victory. The following day, they earned a narrow 7-6 win led by starting pitcher Ha Young-min, and on the 18th, they secured a 4-2 victory thanks to excellent relief pitching. In the final game on the 19th, even while trailing 1-8, Kiwoom demonstrated remarkable resilience by tying the score at 9-9, ending the four-game series with a draw. During this first four-game series of the second half, Kiwoom scored a total of 34 runs—an average of 8.5 runs per game—powerful offense that became the foundation for their winning streak.

Thanks to this near-sweep performance in the four-game series, Kiwoom has closed in on 9th-place SSG Landers. Having not lost a single game across the four contests, they reduced the win-loss margin by three games. The gap with 9th-place SSG has now narrowed to just one game, putting Kiwoom in the final stretch of escaping last place. SSG suffered a loss in their first four-game series of the second half against KIA Tigers, finishing with one win and three losses. After enduring a stubborn struggle near the bottom of the standings for much of the season, Kiwoom is showing its characteristic late-game strength, shaking up the race for positions.

However, a formidable wall awaits Kiwoom as it aims to escape last place. Their next opponent is none other than Samsung Lions, who are currently leading the league with an unbroken winning streak. Samsung has assembled a starting rotation of Choi Won-tae, Kim Baek-san, and Yang Chang-seop for the away series against Kiwoom. In response, Kiwoom is expected to start Bae Dong-hyun, Alcántara, and Ha Young-min.

With momentum building, fans are now focused on whether Kiwoom can deliver a strong performance in the three-game midweek series against league-leading Samsung and finally achieve escape from last place.

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*This content was translated by AI.