Is the team with the top scoring and hitting stats in the second half 'this team'? Brace yourselves, Hanwha, LG, and KT are coming soon [Busan Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Teams facing Kiwoom Heroes need to be on high alert.

As of the 4th, Kiwoom sits in last place with 38 wins, 2 draws, and 64 losses. Their winning percentage is a mere 0.373 — roughly one win out of every three games.

However, they have recently transformed into an entirely different team. Since the second half began on July 16, Kiwoom has posted 9 wins, 1 draw, and 7 losses, with a winning percentage of 0.563 — ranking third among all 10 clubs. They dealt critical blows to Hanwha Eagles, who are desperately fighting for playoff positioning, with a 3-1 record, and to KIA Tigers with a 2-1 record. They also defeated SSG Landers, currently in ninth place, by 2 wins and 1 loss, narrowing the gap to just 2.5 games behind last place.

The standout area is their offense. In the 17th games of the second half, Kiwoom scored 110 runs — the highest total in that span. They also recorded 179 hits, leading all teams, and posted a batting average of 0.289, ranking fourth — only slightly behind Samsung Lions (0.294), who lead the category.

Especially notable is their home run production. Kiwoom has hit just 72 home runs this season, tying with Lotte Giants for last place overall. However, in the second half alone, they have launched 21 home runs — ranking second only to KIA (27).

In those 17 second-half games, Kiwoom hit two or more home runs in seven contests and failed to hit any home run in just five games. During this period, Kim Woong-bin hit five home runs, Davison four, and Park Chan-hyuk three.

Seol Jong-jin (53), Kiwoom's manager, said ahead of the Busan Lotte game on the 4th: "Since the second half began, we've seen more extra-base hits in our offense, and it seems we're consistently hitting at least one home run per game. Also, after conceding runs, we've been able to quickly respond with scoring runs, which may have helped stabilize our momentum."

In that day's game, Kiwoom trailed 2-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. They managed to get hits from Yeo Dong-wook and Im Byung-wook off Lotte closer Kim Won-jung, creating a scoring opportunity with one out and runners on first and third — sending shivers down their opponents' spines. With injured player Hiura expected to return soon, Kiwoom's lineup is projected to grow even stronger.

Kiwoom will face Lotte later this week, followed by Hanwha over the weekend, and next week they will take on LG Twins and KT Wiz in succession. This season, LG has dominated Kiwoom with an 8-4 record, while KT has enjoyed a strong 8-1-2 record against them. However, given Kiwoom's transformed offense, these teams now need to be extremely wary.

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*This content was translated by AI.