Kiwoom Heroes manager explains bullpen decision after loss to SSG

"I thought about it, but I felt it would be a heavy burden even if I handed it over to another pitcher."

Kiwoom Heroes manager Seol Jong-jin said this on the 4th at SSG Landers Field in Incheon, reflecting on the previous day's crucial moment.

Kiwoom lost 4-5 in a comeback defeat to SSG Landers in their away game at SSG Landers Field yesterday.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, with the score tied 4-4, Jo Young-geon took the mound and allowed consecutive hits, resulting in runners on first and second with no outs.

In a situation where a single hit would allow a run, pitching coach No Byeong-oh visited the mound, spoke with Jo Young-geon, and then left without a substitution.

The decision was made to trust Jo Young-geon to the end, rather than replacing him with other pitchers like Won Jong-hyeon, who recently transitioned to closer, or Kim Seong-jin and Park Jin-hyeong.

After SSG's Jeong Jun-jae laid down a sacrifice bunt, Park Seong-han was intentionally walked, creating a bases-loaded situation with one out. The game ended with Oh Tae-gon hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly, resulting in a 4-5 loss.

Manager Seol explained, "If they were going to bunt, it would become second and third with one out regardless of whether the pitcher changed. I felt the burden would be too great for another pitcher in that situation, so I didn't substitute (Jo) Young-geon, telling him to take responsibility until the end."

Kiwoom, who broke an 8-game losing streak on the 2nd, is deeply concerned about bullpen management.

This is due to the recent slump of Asian quota player Kanakubo Yuto since the end of last month.

Won Jong-hyeon, who has recorded 5 holds and a 2.14 ERA this season, was fixed as the closer from his setup role, but a gap has emerged in the key relief pitchers.

Currently, they are forming the main and chase relief units with new prospects Kim Seo-jun and Park Ji-seong, along with existing bullpen pitchers Kim Seong-jin and Jo Young-geon.

Manager Seol said, "We've fixed the 8th and 9th innings with Yuto and Won Jong-hyeon, and we plan to deploy the rest of the players based on the situation."

While concerns about bullpen management remain, worries about power hitting have subsided since the acquisition of new foreign hitter Keston Hiura.

Hiura, who debuted in the KBO League on the 30th of last month, has played in 4 games, recording a batting average of .267 (4 hits in 15 at-bats), 2 home runs, 3 runs scored, and 5 RBIs.

He hit home runs in two consecutive games on the 2nd and 3rd. His slugging percentage stands at .733.

Manager Seol said, "Human greed is endless, but I hope he continues to hit home runs frequently in the future. Hiura has a style of taking a full swing when he gets the pitch he wants. I also evaluate his plate discipline positively."