Closer No. 1 Jung Hae-young struggled with '2 innings, 6 runs allowed,' while 'No. 3' Jo Sang-woo shone the brightest in the 'Flower Candidate Smile' [Gwangju Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Closer No. 1 Jung Hae-young (25, KIA Tigers) faltered once again. It was another closer candidate, Kwak Do-gyu (22), and Jo Sang-woo (32), who erased the crisis moment.

Under manager Lee Beom-ho (45), KIA secured a 7-3 victory over Hanwha Eagles at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 21st in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game.

KIA, riding high on a four-game winning streak, recorded 49 wins, 40 losses, and 2 draws, narrowing the gap with third-place LG Twins, who lost that day, to just 2.5 games.

A decisive win seemed expected through the 7th inning. KIA took an early lead with a solo home run by Herald Castro in the 1st inning and a three-run homer by Han Jun-soo, then extended their advantage to 6-0 with Park Jae-hyun's two-run homer in the 2nd.

Hwang Dong-ha held opponents scoreless for five innings despite facing difficult situations, including two bases-loaded crises, allowing only one run. Following him, Sung Young-tak (⅓ inning), Kim Beom-su (⅔ inning), and Jeon Sang-hyun (1 inning) executed a scoreless relay pitching effort.

However, Jung Hae-young faltered upon entering in the 8th. Despite recording two outs cleanly, he allowed three consecutive hits to Oh Jae-won, Choi In-ho, and Moon Hyun-bin before surrendering a run and being replaced.

Kwak Do-gyu, who took over, gave up a double to pinch hitter Han Ji-yoon and allowed one inherited runner to score but quickly stabilized the situation by striking out Yonatan Peraza.

The offense managed only one run, eliminating the save opportunity, but with the winning lineup already in motion, Jo Sang-woo entered in the top of the 9th to close the game. He created favorable counts against Heo In-seo and Hwang Young-mok with aggressive pitching, then recorded consecutive strikeouts on high fastballs before inducing a groundout by Jang Gyu-hyun to a second baseman to end the contest.

After the game, manager Lee Beom-ho praised, "Hwang Dong-ha held opponents scoreless for five innings despite crisis situations, laying the foundation for victory." He added, "In relief pitching, Kim Beom-su entered with one out and runners on first and third, retiring two batters on weak contact, playing a major role in today's win. Kwak Do-gyu and Jo Sang-woo also delivered excellent performances."

Sung Young-tak, who emerged as the primary closer during the first half with 12 saves, faltered, prompting manager Lee to activate a collective closing system. As the second half began, he indicated plans to finalize the closer role soon, naming Jung Hae-young, Kwak Do-gyu, and Jo Sang-woo as candidates.

However, Jung Hae-young was listed first. Although his recent form has been poor, leading to discussions about using him earlier in the bullpen rather than as the primary closer, his improved velocity and experience with a sharp vertical breaking ball were highly praised.

Kwak Do-gyu remains a strong candidate, though addressing his relative weakness against right-handed batters was identified as an area for improvement. Jo Sang-woo, while rich in closing experience, was ranked third due to his reliance on horizontal breaking balls rather than vertical ones compared to Jung Hae-young, which poses relatively higher risk in crisis situations.

Yet, the struggles of No. 1 Jung Hae-young continue, while No. 3 Jo Sang-woo delivers the most standout pitching performance. Jo is also the only pitcher to secure a save during the second half so far.

Given manager Lee's expressed intention to reconsider the closer situation for now, concerns over prioritization are likely to grow.

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*This content was translated by AI.