SSG fell into a five-game losing streak after losing both the first and second games of a doubleheader against Jamsil LG on April 17. The first game of the doubleheader was a rainy affair, with both teams playing evenly. SSG took a 3-2 lead in the first game through five innings thanks to veteran left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun.
However, SSG’s defense in the bottom of the sixth inning was suddenly interrupted by heavy rain, and the game was not resumed until 70 minutes later. After Kim Kwang-hyun, who had pitched five innings and two runs (one earned), was pulled from the mound, SSG quickly fell behind and eventually lost 3-8.먹튀검증
Game 2 started with a mound battle. SSG sent out left-hander Kirk McCarty to start game two, but he was pulled early after giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings. McCarty was aggressive in the second inning and kept the LG bats in check. The Tigers struck first with two runs off LG starter Im Chan-kyu.
McCarty faltered sharply in the bottom of the inning after giving up a walk to Shin Min-jae, and gave up RBI singles to Kim Hyun-soo, Austin Dean, and Moon Bo-kyung to make it a 2-3 game. With the momentum gone, SSG eventually went down 5-9 in game two.
SSG left-hander Roenis Elias. Courtesy of SSG
“McCarty’s form looked good, but as he kept throwing strong pitches, the LG batters found their timing as the batting order rotated,” said SSG head coach Kim Won-hyung before the game against Hanwha in Daejeon on the 19th. “Even after giving up a run, you have to throw the ball rationally, but I think we had a difficult game because we were a little excited.”
Kim lamented the lack of a clear-cut “number one starter” for his team’s recent losing streak. “Even an ace pitcher can’t always pitch well, but a solid first starter can break a losing streak or extend a winning streak,” he said, adding that SSG has a 2-1 record (0.154) in 14 games in September.
In that sense, the game against Doosan in Jamsil on the 14th was a disappointing game for SSG. SSG took a 2-0 lead through the eighth inning thanks to eight scoreless innings from left-hander Roenis Elias. However, Seo Jin-yong, who came on in the bottom of the ninth to close out the game, faltered sharply and gave up the tying run before giving up the game-winning hit to pinch-hitter Heo Kyung-min, resulting in a 2-3 loss.
Kim said, “Elias pitched eight scoreless innings, but he got into trouble again. Last week, that game (against Doosan) was very disappointing,” Kim said.