Game Summary
The SSG Landers spoiled what could have been a breakthrough win for the visiting KIA Tigers, taking a 6-3 decision on a warm September evening in Incheon. Despite showing plenty of fight throughout the contest, the Tigers couldn’t overcome a crucial fifth-inning outburst from the Landers that proved to be the difference. SSG improved to 55-5-69 with the victory, while KIA slipped to 68-2-57, each team moving closer to the end of a grueling regular season.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA Tigers | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| SSG Landers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
Pitching Performance
Min-jun Kim took the win for SSG, scattering five hits across six innings while allowing three earned runs. He walked three but struck out eight, showcasing the kind of command that’s kept him near the top of the league’s ERA rankings. The Tigers’ starter Tae-hyung Kim couldn’t get out of the fourth inning, giving up four runs on three hits and three walks in a disappointing outing. Neither team’s bullpen was particularly sharp—the Tigers cycled through six relievers, while SSG used three arms after Kim departed, though they benefited from solid defense when they needed it.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA Tigers | ||||||
| Kim Tae-hyung [L] | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Jung Hae-young | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Beom-soo | 0 ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jo Sang-woo | 1 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kwak Do-gyu | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lee Ui-ri | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SSG Landers | ||||||
| Kim Min-jun [W] | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Kim Min [H] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jeon Young-jun [H] | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Moon Seung-won [S] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Seung-won Mun picked up the save by pitching the ninth, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out one. His entrance marked another high-leverage moment handled correctly by the Landers’ relief corps, a sharp contrast to the Tigers’ struggles in similar situations throughout the night.
Offensive Highlights
The story of this game belonged to Myung-jun Ko, who delivered one of the most important at-bats of the evening. Playing left field for the Landers, Ko went 3-for-4 with a towering three-run homer in the fifth inning that effectively put the game out of reach for the Tigers. His three RBIs were the team’s offensive backbone, and his power surge suggested he’s hitting his stride down the stretch.
| Batter | AB | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA Tigers | |||||
| Castro | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Kim Sun-bin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ha Ju-seok | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Kim Ho-ryeong | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| SSG Landers | |||||
| Heredia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ko Myung-jun | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | |
Castro, KIA’s import player, led the Tigers with three hits in five at-bats and drove in a run, proving to be one of the few bright spots in the lineup. Sun-bin Kim added two hits and showed decent plate discipline, while Ho-ryung Kim managed two hits as well. But the Tigers’ inability to string together sustained offensive sequences meant they never truly threatened after falling behind. Ju-seok Ha and Castro each added an RBI, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Ko’s heroics on the other side.
Key Play of the Game
Everything changed in the fifth inning when Ko stepped into the box with two outs and runners on second and third. What started as a promising moment for KIA—they’d scratched out a run or two through the first four frames—suddenly went sideways when Ko connected on a Sang-woo Jo offering and sent it sailing over the left-field wall. That three-run shot pushed the Landers ahead 4-1, and while KIA would score twice more before the final out, they never climbed closer than two runs. Ko’s blast was the moment SSG seized control, and the Tigers simply couldn’t recover.
Standings Impact
This result keeps both teams in their respective positions as the season winds down. KIA remains in fourth place despite the loss, still very much in contention for a playoff spot. SSG stays in seventh, but this kind of win—especially against a team ahead of them in the standings—provides momentum as they chase relevance in the final weeks. With September pushing teams toward their final stretch, every game carries weight, and the Landers proved they’re not ready to fade away just yet.
🔍 Preview Prediction vs. Reality
Predicted: KIA Tigers | KIA Tigers 4 – SSG Landers 2
Actual: KIA Tigers 3 – SSG Landers 6
We got the winner completely wrong—SSG pulled off the upset rather than KIA securing what looked like a winnable matchup on paper. The final margin was far wider than anticipated, with the Landers’ lineup proving far more dangerous than expected. Myung-jun Ko’s three-run homer in the fifth was the pivotal moment we didn’t account for, and KIA’s starting pitcher simply didn’t have it, exiting in the fourth with damage already done.