"I was truly grateful!" National team pitcher who stopped the four-game losing streak with "7 innings, 1 run" — Lee Kang-cheol beamed after So Hyoung-jun's 85-pitch effort.

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) lavished praise on "ace" So Hyoung-jun (25), who is set to join the Asian Games national team after pitching 7 innings against SSG Landers the previous day (8th). He highlighted So's smart approach of quickly ending innings by inducing weak contact rather than chasing strikeouts, which helped the team avoid a potential four-game losing streak in a critical moment.

Ahead of tomorrow's away game against Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 9th, manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "So Hyoung-jun's pitching yesterday was truly grateful. He really pitched well," offering high praise without reservation.

What manager Lee focused on most was strict "pitch count management" and "pitching tempo." The manager stated, "You must not be overly eager for strikeouts. If you try to get 7 or 8 strikeouts, the pitch count will inevitably rise. Yesterday, he recorded only 3 strikeouts but still managed to finish 7 innings with just over 80 pitches (85 total)," he pointed out.

As manager Lee noted, So Hyoung-jun started against SSG Landers at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 8th and delivered a tight performance of 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, no walks, 3 strikeouts, and 1 earned run — securing his 7th win of the season. His pitch count was only 85. Thanks to So's outstanding effort, the team secured a 3-1 victory, escaping a three-game losing streak and overcoming the threat of a four-game losing streak.

Regarding So Hyoung-jun's pitching performance, manager Lee said, "He didn't prolong the ball count but aggressively engaged batters and got them out. By the 5th inning, his pitch count was only in the early 60s. If you chase strikeouts and force things with power, it's easy to reach 100 pitches by the 5th, but Hyoung-jun knows how to cook batters into weak contact. Yesterday's pitching was exactly what a starting pitcher should demonstrate," giving him a thumbs-up.

Especially regarding the game on the 8th, he added, "It was our first time facing a four-game losing streak this season, and fortunately, thanks to So Hyoung-jun this season, we didn't reach that point. It was truly fortunate."

In the tight standings race at the end of the season, with the ace's effort minimizing bullpen usage and breaking the losing streak, manager Lee expressed deep gratitude: "I'm truly grateful." Under this solid trust from the skipper, So Hyoung-jun once again proved himself as a reliable pillar of KT's mound.

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*This content was translated by AI.