The Kiwoom Heroes have won six straight games to clinch the best-of-seven series.

Led by head coach Hong Won-ki, Kiwoom won the 10th game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League against the LG Twins 4-1 on Wednesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. With the win, Kiwoom’s season record improved to 35-45 (.438), and the gap between ninth-place Hanwha and last-place Kiwoom was reduced to 0.5 games.

Starting pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus was the key to the victory. He became the first pitcher in the entire league to reach the 10-win plateau this season, shutting down the LG bats in six innings of four-hit, two-run ball with eight strikeouts and no walks.

The bullpen did its part as well. Second starter Joo Seung-woo struggled with one run on three hits in ⅓ innings, but Kim Sung-min and Cho Sang-woo kept LG in the game with 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief and 1 inning of scoreless relief with one hit, one walk and one strikeout, respectively.

At the plate, leadoff hitter Lee Joo-hyung went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored against his hometown team, while No. 4 hitter Song Sung-moon also lived up to his team’s expectations with a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs.

Kiwoom set the tone early in the game. In the top of the first inning, Kim Hye-sung drove in Lee Joo-hyung from third with a grounder to shortstop, and then Song Sung-moon, who was batting with runners on first and third, followed with an RBI single. Kiwoom extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third with RBI singles by Kim Hye-sung and Song Sung-moon.

Meanwhile, starter Heisus pitched a scoreless inning, especially in the top of the fourth inning when he was threatened by three consecutive leadoff singles, but he kept his composure and didn’t allow a single run.

Kiwoom trailed 4-1 in the top of the seventh inning when second pitcher Joo Seung-woo gave up an RBI single to Moon Sung-joo. The crisis continued, and eventually, the Kiwoom bench pulled out left-hander Kim Sung-min with the bases loaded and one out. The pitching 먹튀사이트 change paid off. Kim got Hong Chang-ki to fly out to shortstop and Shin Min-jae to strike out to end the inning to keep LG in the game.

After the top of the seventh, Kim did his job until the top of the eighth. He had some help from his defense. Shortstop Kim Tae-jin made a smooth catch on a grounder by leadoff hitter Kim Hyun-soo for an out, and with the momentum in his favor, Kim Sung-min got grounders by Austin and Park Dong-won to end the inning.

Reliever Cho Sang-woo, who came into the game with the pressure of back-to-back games, also lived up to his team’s expectations. After Moon Bo-kyung and Moon Sung-joo singled in the top of the ninth, Cho gave up a double to Koo Bon-hyuk, but induced a groundout to Park Hae-min to seal the win.

After the game, manager Hong Won-ki said, “Heisus pitched a perfect game, overpowering the opposing batters until the top of the sixth inning, with good cooperation with catcher Kim Jae-hyun. Congratulations to him for reaching 10 wins.”

“Kim Sung-min, who came to the plate in the seventh inning, also overcame a difficult situation with his calm pitching. Kim Tae-jin’s big save in the top of the eighth not only prevented the tide from turning, but also played a key role in securing the win today. On offense, we capitalized on the opportunities created by Lee Joo-hyung’s walks in the first and third innings,” said Lee.

Kiwoom will now look to go for a seventh straight win and series sweep in the final game of the first half on Thursday against LG.

Depending on the situation, they could finish the first half with a last-place escape. Starting against Lim Chan-kyu will be pitcher Ha Young-min. Manager Hong Won-ki said, “We are on a good winning streak. It’s thanks to the fans who have given us great support. I’d like to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”