The KIA Tigers, who even postponed the first-team call-up of starting catcher Kim Tae-gun to help Lee Eui-ri rebound, are aiming to end a four-game losing streak with Lee Eui-ri leading the way.
Professional baseball team the KIA Tigers are preparing for their third meeting of the season with the KT Wiz in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 23rd. It is the final game of the three-game midweek series.
KIA met KT for the first time this season and lost both games. After a fierce first-day contest that ended in extra innings, Kim Min-hyeok hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th, and on the 22nd, despite sending out ace James Naylor, trusted relievers Kim Beom-Su (2/3 inning, 4 earned runs) and Cho Sang-woo (0 innings, 2 earned runs) faltered and KIA bowed 3-8. KIA, which had been on an eight-game winning streak through the 17th, fell into a four-game losing streak, suffered its second consecutive losing series and saw its .500 winning percentage collapse. The season record is 10 wins and 11 losses.
KIA announced left-hander Lee Eui-ri as the starter to change the momentum. Lee Eui-ri's season record is four games, 1-2 with a 7.24 ERA; in his most recent start on the 17th against Doosan Bears at Jamsil, he earned his first win of the season with five scoreless innings, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out eight.
Lee Eui-ri succeeded in rebounding while forming his first battery with Joo Hyo-sang at that time. Accordingly, the skipper said he would not call up starting catcher Kim Tae-gun, who is shaking off a shoulder injury and playing in Futures League games, and announced plans to run the Lee Eui-ri–Joo Hyo-sang battery again.
KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, "Joo Hyo-sang formed good battery chemistry with Kim Tae-hyoung and Lee Eui-ri. I want to see him pair once more with Lee Eui-ri, who is scheduled to start on the 23rd," and added, "Saving Lee Eui-ri is a priority over bringing up Kim Tae-gun. If Lee Eui-ri pitches and Kim Tae-gun says he's okay, then we can call him up."
Lee Bum-ho continued, "Rookie-level pitchers tend to get psychologically tense when they have a veteran catcher. When I played third base, sometimes it felt burdensome to throw depending on who was at first base," and added, "A veteran catcher pairs well with pitchers of middle age. There are times when pitchers do well with a veteran catcher, but when Lee Eui-ri worked with Kim Tae-gun and Han Jun-su and then tried Joo Hyo-sang, his pitching improved. We plan to use the Lee Eui-ri–Joo Hyo-sang battery on the 23rd."
Lee Eui-ri remembers being the winning pitcher against KT in this year's exhibition games. On March 15 in Gwangju he threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks and striking out four. His most recent regular-season game against KT was on April 4, 2024, in Suwon, when he earned the win with five innings, six hits (one home run), two walks, seven strikeouts and two earned runs.
Facing him, KT opened the card with Soh Hyeong-jun as the starter. Soh Hyeong-jun's season record is four games, 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA; in his most recent outing on the 17th against the Kiwoom Heroes in Suwon, he picked up the win after six scoreless innings, allowing six hits, one hit batsman and striking out seven. After overcoming an early slump, he has built momentum with two consecutive wins and quality starts. He showed strength last year against KIA with three games, 1-0 and a 3.00 ERA.
After eight straight wins followed by four straight losses, KIA is 10-11 and in fifth place, and KT, having won two in a row, is 15-6 and in first place. KIA seeks to escape its four-game losing streak, and KT aims for a series sweep. <
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