KIA won 8-4 at home against the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League LG Twins at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on the 11th.
KIA, which swept the LG Twins, the defending champion, remains atop in the league with 11 wins and four losses. The team is half a game ahead of the NC Dinos, which is ranking second.
It was a typical game of this season's KIA game. Starter Will Crow had five hits, one walk, eight strikeouts, and two runs during six innings, securing his third win of this season. The batting lineup recorded eight runs, including 15 hits, one hit, and one hit, while the batter had no home run. He added seven doubles and one triple to report eight long hits.
Since its opening, Kia has consistently maintained its top rank in the league. Having taken care of its win from the opening game to rank No. 1 in the league, Kia briefly plunged to third place after being overwhelmed by the Hanwha Eagles' momentum in early April. Since then, it has elevated its performance to become No. 1 again, and is engaged in a fierce competition with NC to become the top leader.
A large number of the main players left due to injury, but they are holding on with a strong gum. Starting with Na Sung-beom's departure, KIA's Hwang Dae-in, Lim Ki-young, Park Chan-ho, Lee Eui-ri, Park Min, and Yoon Do-hyun were injured. Seo Geon-chang, Lee Woo-sung, and Hong Jong-pyo filled the vacancy well, driving the team's rise.
Amid their stellar performance, Kia ranks first in both offense and defense in the league. It ranks first in all of the teams' batting average (0.304), slugging percentage (0.448), and OPS (0.818), and boasts of being the top in the team's ERA (2.98) and bullpen ERA (2.72). Notably, the team is the only team with a two-point average in the league, showing a big gap with NC (3.26), which ranks second.
Choi Won-joon and Park Chan-ho are leading the offense. Choi ranks fourth with a batting average of 0.370, and Park Chan-ho ranks fifth with a batting average of 0.364. Choi was the ninth, and Park Chan-ho was the first, combining for 11 runs, 16 RBIs, and 10 steals.
The core of a pitcher's ability is the bullpen. He has an excellent starting ERA of 3.17 (second place in the league), but his bullpen is overwhelming with an ERA of 2.72.
A thorough division of labor is being observed without breaking innings. The KIA bullpen has never pitched three times in a row, and has played multiple innings in seven innings, the fewest in the league. (second-ranked Kiwoom in the ninth inning)
This result is determined by the number of blon holds and blon saves. According to statistics on baseball statistics sites, KIA is the only team in the league that has not recorded a blon hold or blon save. (Kium, Hanwha once)
At the center of the no-blone march is closer Jung Hae-young. Jung boasts six saves with an ERA of zero in six games this season. If he adds four more saves, he will become the youngest player to make 100 saves in the KBO League history.
Meanwhile, Kia aims to secure its fourth consecutive win by banking on its left-hander Young Gun and Yoon Young-chul. In two games so far, Yoon has won one game and no loss with an earned run average of 3.72.
Hanwha Eagles will face off against Hanwha Eagles for three consecutive weekend games. For Hanwha, foreign right-hander Felix Peña will play. Peña had two wins and one loss with a 4.91 ERA in three games.
Attention is focusing on whether KIA will be able to maintain its highest position until the end.
BY: 토토사이트링크