KBO Recap: SSG Landers 9-6 Kiwoom Heroes | September 02 Highlights & Scores

Game Summary

The SSG Landers survived a late offensive surge from the Kiwoom Heroes on Tuesday evening, holding on for a 9-6 victory at Gocheok Sky Dome. What looked like it might be a comfortable win slipped away in the middle innings as the Heroes’ bats came alive, but SSG’s bullpen managed to shut the door when it mattered most. The Landers improved to 50-5-65, while Kiwoom fell to 42-3-78 in what was ultimately a back-and-forth affair that had plenty of drama packed into nine innings.

Pitching Performance

SSG’s starter Kim Gun-woo delivered five solid innings, allowing four hits and four runs—though only three were earned—while striking out five. The trouble came when the Landers turned to their bullpen. Choi Yong-jun recorded just two-thirds of an inning but surrendered two earned runs on a pair of hits, immediately putting the team in a precarious spot. Park Si-hu came in briefly and kept the damage contained, and from there, the SSG relief corps tightened considerably. Kim Min pitched a clean inning with a pair of strikeouts, Lee Gun-wook earned the win with a scoreless frame, and closer Cho Byung-hyun picked up the save by retiring the side in the ninth.

On the Kiwoom side, starter Ha Young-min was respectable through six innings, giving up just two hits and three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts. The Heroes’ bullpen, however, couldn’t contain SSG’s ninth-inning explosion. Reliever Yuto took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits without recording an out. It was an ugly sequence that essentially decided the game.

Offensive Highlights

Kim Jae-hwan was the star performer for SSG, collecting three hits in four at-bats and driving in two runs, including a solo home run in the ninth inning off Yuto that proved to be the final dagger. Park Sung-han added two hits as well, keeping the Landers’ lineup moving throughout the contest. On the Heroes’ side, Davidson went deep for a three-run shot in the fifth inning—his 17th of the season—and finished with a team-leading three RBIs. Hiura also connected for a solo homer in the fourth, and Yeo Dong-uk added a two-run blast in the sixth to keep Kiwoom competitive.

The long ball was clearly a factor in this one. Four home runs were hit overall, with both teams relying on the power game as a way to manufacture runs. SSG’s depth proved to be the difference—they had contributions from multiple lineup spots, while Kiwoom’s offense felt more reliant on the big fly.

Key Play of the Game

The decisive moment came in the ninth inning when Oh Tae-gon ripped a single to left field with runners on first and second and two outs, plating what would be the go-ahead run. The Heroes’ bullpen had already begun to unravel by that point, but Gon’s hit essentially put the game out of reach. It wasn’t flashy, but it was timely—exactly what you need late in a close game.

Standings Impact

With this victory, SSG stays firmly entrenched in the lower half of the standings, though they continue to hold serve against teams fighting for position. Kiwoom’s loss pushes them further down the table with a daunting task ahead if they hope to make any late-season push. Both squads are essentially playing for pride at this point in the season, and SSG showed more resilience when the pressure was on.