Seoul: Starter Kenny Rosenberg delivered a near-perfect performance as the Kiwoom Heroes secured a decisive 4-0 victory over the first-place LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Rosenberg's dominant pitching and the Heroes' timely hitting snapped the Twins' four-game winning streak at Gocheok Sky Dome.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Rosenberg, in his fourth start of his inaugural KBO season, showcased his prowess by pitching eight innings and striking out a season-high 13 batters. The Twins' lineup struggled against Rosenberg, with every batter striking out at least once.
The victory improved the Heroes' record to 6-9-0, ending their three-game losing streak, while the Twins' record fell to 11-2-0. Heroes' captain Song Sung-mun set the tone early with a leadoff home run against Twins' starter Elieser Hernandez, marking his first career leadoff homer.
In the third inning, Lee Ju-hyoung extended the Heroes' lead with a powerful solo home run, reinforcing their advantage. Rosenberg continued his impressive streak by retiring the first 16 batters, including six strikeouts during that stretch.
The Heroes added another run in the fourth inning with Park Ju-hong's solo home run, pushing their lead to 3-0. Rosenberg maintained his dominance, pitching a clean fifth inning and reaching 10 strikeouts by the sixth inning. Although his no-hit bid ended with a double by Choi Won-young, Rosenberg quickly regained his composure.
Park Ju-hong's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning brought the Heroes' lead to 4-0, concluding Hernandez's outing. Despite facing challenges in the seventh and eighth innings, Rosenberg navigated through them efficiently.
In the ninth inning, after conceding consecutive singles, Rosenberg was relieved by Ju Seung-woo, who preserved the shutout by retiring the final three batters, ensuring Rosenberg's impressive performance was reflected in the scoreline.