Kiwoom Heroes manager Hong Won-ki’s face was grim, uncharacteristic of a manager who just snapped a nine-game losing streak Kiwoom defeated the Lotte Giants 10-8 on Sept. 9, but nearly gave up five runs in the top of the ninth inning In the top of the ninth, Joo Seung-woo took the mound and after retiring Noh Jin-hyuk and Ahn Kwon-soo on a fly ball and a strikeout, he suddenly faltered In ⅔ of an inning, Joo gave up three runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks Lee Myung-jong, who took over the ball with the bases loaded, also collapsed, giving up two runs (two earned) on one hit and one walk, forcing closer Im Chang-min to come on in a hurry After giving up two singles with the bases loaded, Lim struck out Noh Jin-hyuk, who was batting second in the ninth, to end the game “Yesterday was harder than the losing streak,” Hong told reporters at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday, adding, “Baseball gets harder the more you play. Nothing goes the way you want it to,” he reflected 스포츠토토존 Hong, who left Joo Seung-woo out of the first-team lineup, pointed out that “pitching is essential to survive in the first team.” “If you suddenly look like you did yesterday, it means you need to hone your skills more,” he said In fact, Kiwoom’s 18 blown saves this season are the most among the 10 clubs It’s no exaggeration to say that Im Chang-min, who has 17 of the team’s 23 saves, has been single-handedly guarding Kiwoom’s back door Kim Jae-woong has been out of the lineup since late last month after a slump, and Won Jong-hyun is out with an elbow ligament injury Hong said only, “We have to trust Im Chang-min because he has the most experience and fastball power.