SSG Landers shook off the jinx against Changwon to win their second straight game in Changwon and their third straight win of the season. They stayed in fifth place. Pil Seung-jo became the first player in history to reach the 30-hold mark for two consecutive years.
SSG won 10-5 against the NC Dinos in the regular season of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at the NC Park in Changwon on May 15.
SSG ended a five-game losing streak in Changwon and extended its winning streak. With their third straight win, they improved their record to 56 wins, 55 losses, and one draw. NC, on the other hand, fell into a seven-game losing streak. They failed to escape eighth place with 49 wins, 58 losses and 2 draws.
SSG’s starting lineup was Choi Ji-hoon (center field), Kim Sung-hyun (shortstop), Choi Jung (third base), Eredia (left field), Choo Shin-soo (designated hitter), Oh Tae-gon (first base), Lee Ji-young (catcher), Ha Jae-hoon (right field), and Park Ji-hwan (second base). Roenis Elias is the starting pitcher.
Eric Yokishi started for NC,
With Park Min-woo (designated hitter), Seo Ho-cheol (second baseman), Davidson (first baseman), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Hyeon-hwan Jae-hwan (right fielder), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Park Se-hyeok (catcher), and Kim Sung-wook (center fielder).SSG struck first in the second inning. Heredia singled to left and Choo Shin-soo walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Oh Tae-gon grounded out to the second baseman, but Lee Ji-young singled up the middle to score the go-ahead run.
However, NC, which lost its sixth straight game, came back. In the bottom of the fourth, leadoff hitter Park Min-woo singled and Seo Ho-cheol laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second, and Davidson tied the game with a double to left field. With the bases loaded, 파워볼실시간 Kwon Hee-dong singled to center field to make it 2-1.
Kwon stole second on the throw home, and Kim Hee-dong followed with a single to left to put runners on first and third. However, Lee Jae-hwan grounded out to center field and Kim Joo-won struck out to end the threat.
Eventually, SSG regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Choi Ji-hoon doubled to left field, and Kim Sung-hyun lifted a 138-kilometer pitch from Yokishi for a two-run homer to left field. Choi then extended the lead to 4-2 with a back-to-back home run to left field. NC made it 3-4 in the bottom of the sixth when Davidson led off with a solo shot to right. Afterward, Kim Hui-jip doubled to center field to tie the game, but pinch-hitters Park Siwon and Kim Joo-won struck out consecutively to end the threat. SSG’s Noh Kyung-eun, who came in to pitch with the bases loaded, struck out Park Si-won and Kim Joo-won to become the first pitcher in history to reach the 30-hit plateau for two consecutive years.
After surviving the crisis, SSG made a comeback. In the top of the seventh, leadoff hitter Choi Ji-hoon laid down a surprise bunt to force an error. A sacrifice bunt by Kim Sung-hyun, a hit by pitch by Choi, and a walk by Heredia loaded the bases. Choo Shin-soo followed with a single up the middle to make it 5-3.
With the bases loaded, Oh Tae-gon drew a bases-loaded walk.
Lee Ji-young struck out, but Han Yoo-seom followed with a three-run double to left-center field to make it 9-3. In the top of the eighth inning, Choi Jung-jeong led off with a double and Heredia singled to center field to make it 10-3. It certainly put the game out of reach. NC scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out RBI single by Do Tae-hoon, but it wasn’t enough.
SSG picked up their third win of the season as Elias pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. At the plate, Kim Sung-hyun went 2-for-2, including the game-winning hit, Choi Jung-jeong had two hits (one home run), one walk and three RBIs, while Heredia also had two hits, one RBI and two runs scored. Han Yoo-seom also chipped in with two hits, including a wedge, and three RBIs.
NC was unable to stop starter Eric Yokishi, who allowed four runs on six hits (two homers) and three walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings in his second start since returning from the disabled list. The offense pounded out 11 hits but could only muster three runs. Worse, they committed four errors.