First of all, Jung Hae-young, who took the mound in the top of the ninth inning with a 6-4 lead over Lotte in Gwangju on the 28th, was on the verge of a left-handed double by Jung-hoon and allowed one run against Noh Jin-hyuk, but handled Kim Min-seok with a ground ball to shortstop and confirmed his team’s 6-5 victory.
In the match against Lotte in Gwangju on the 29th, Jung Hae-young faced a crisis in the top of the ninth inning with his team leading 4-1, hit by Yoon Dong-hee and Park Seung-wook, and threw three balls to Jeon Joon-woo.
Jung Hae-young, who has a 2.92 ERA in 27 appearances this year, went down to the second division in late May and returned to the first division in early July, and after returning, he has played seven games with a 1.42 ERA in three saves and one hold, regaining his 30 saves for the second consecutive year. Jung Hae-young, who has established himself as KIA’s closer since 2021, made 34 saves that year and harvested 32 saves last year.
Head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “Jung Hae-young has sent a batter, but his fastball is recovering and he is likely to have confidence as he saves two consecutive games,” adding, “I believe he will find confidence in the future and do well next time he has a save opportunity.”
Will Jung Hae-young, who has already fought consecutively, be able to take the mound against Lotte in Gwangju on the 30th. Head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “I heard it’s possible to take the mound, but I’m going to decide after watching the situation.”
KIA was able to run its winning streak on the back of starting pitcher Yoon Young-chul’s good pitching with one hit and two walks in six innings against Lotte in Gwangju on the 29th. Left-hander Yoon Young-chul has already won his sixth win of the season, igniting the Rookie of the Year race.
Head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “Yoon Young-chul’s command went well as he wanted. The balance was a little shaken at the top of the fifth inning, but sophisticated commands were made overall. The weather was hot and he took the mound after about 20 days, so he had to throw until the sixth inning and replaced it. “Next time, I think we should increase the number of pitches and increase the number of innings,” he said.