'Was winning this hard?' SSG wins four straight for the first time in three months, 'Kim Kwang-hyun's successor' achieves scoreless outing in 14 games: "I hope he grows one step further" [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

After leading the league in the early part of the season, the team slid to fourth place following a six-game losing streak and plummeted to eighth after enduring a 13-game losing streak. They then fell into another five-game losing streak, dropping to ninth, making any slim hope of a playoff berth seem nearly impossible amid a nine-game losing streak.

Especially during the two months following the start of the 13th-game losing streak, their win-loss percentage was just 0.208, marking a hellish period. While securing only 10 wins in 50 games, they suffered as many as 38 losses (2 draws).

Though late, a major turning point has arrived. SSG Landers, seeking change with the start of the second half, have now won four straight games.

On the 25th, SSG secured a decisive 10-4 victory over the NC Dinos in a home game at Incheon SSG Landers Field as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League season.

This marks their first four-game winning streak since April 24, three months ago. They now aim for their best-ever five-game winning streak of the season. With four consecutive starting pitcher wins achieved, they will face off against Shota Takeda, the only member of the starting rotation who has not won a game this week.

Starting the season under difficult circumstances after mental anchor Kim Kwang-hyun and first-round rookie pitcher Kim Min-jun were removed from the starting rotation, SSG struggled without finding their footing amid continued poor performances by foreign pitchers.

Although they finished the first half in a state of uncontrollable collapse, hopes were pinned on replacing both foreign pitchers and rookie Kim Min-jun's stable performance in the starting rotation. After winning their first game of the second half, they fell into a three-game losing streak but have since won four straight games again.

This winning streak earned even higher praise for its quality than its result alone would suggest. Pedro Avila achieved back-to-back Quality Starts (QS: six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs), breaking the losing streak, followed by Kim Min-jun's scoreless six-inning outing and Thomas Hatch's strong performance of six innings allowing two runs (one earned). This marked three consecutive team QS outings. For SSG, which had recorded only 11 team QSs up to this point, it was a remarkable achievement.

Kim Geon-woo, who started today, also came alive. While serving as the 'domestic ace starter' during the early season in Kim Kwang-hyun's absence, he later fell into a prolonged slump. Today was different. By the second inning, his pitch count had already reached 45 pitches. He navigated through a bases-loaded crisis in the first inning and held opponents scoreless, completing five innings with just 96 pitches in a scoreless outing — his first scoreless performance in 14 games.

The lineup responded with 12 hits and 10 runs, including three home runs, giving an early indication of victory. During the four-game winning streak, the offense exploded for 29 runs, averaging 7.25 points per game.

Manager Lee Seung-yong was the first to mention starting pitcher Kim Geon-woo. "He has shown strong focus in every crisis and effectively suppressed the opposing lineup. Having overcome his recent slump with a scoreless pitching performance, I hope he regains confidence through today's game and grows one step further," he praised.

He continued, "In the lineup, An Sang-hyun, who returned from injury, hit a crucial three-run home run early in the game to set the tone. Park Sung-han's two-run single in the sixth inning helped cut off the opponent's comeback attempt. Jo Hyung-woo and Im Geon-woo are also maintaining good hitting form, becoming vital energy sources for the team's offense."

He did not forget to express gratitude to fans who had endured significant emotional hardship. Manager Lee stated, "It is very meaningful that we can repay the passionate support of our home fans by continuing this winning streak. We will prepare well to maintain good momentum in tomorrow's game as well."

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*This content was translated by AI.