# 'Back-to-back hits→straight hit to first baseman for double play' saves the day

Baseball's Kiwoom Heroes' Cho Sang-woo (30) earned a save in his first appearance of the second half.

Cho Sang-woo pitched one inning of two-hit, one-strikeout relief against the Hanwha Eagles of the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Monday to earn the save.

Taking the mound in the top of the ninth inning with Kiwoom leading 5-3, Cho struck out leadoff hitter Chae Eun-seong on a wild pitch. After back-to-back singles by Kim Tae-yeon and Ha Ju-seok put runners on first and second with no outs, Cho faced a sharp pitch from Lee Do-yoon. However, the ball sailed into the glove of first baseman Choi Joo-hwan, who promptly touched first base to end the game. The initial call was safe, but it was overturned to an out after a video review requested by Kiwoom.

Cho Sang-woo, who earned his sixth save of the season, said after the game, "I was a little nervous, but it feels good to make a good save and contribute to the team's victory. I'll try to be a little more secure in the future," he said of his save.

Cho hasn't allowed an earned run in 14 consecutive games since May 29, when he allowed one run on two hits (one home run) with one strikeout in one inning at Samsung Electronics. "Sometimes my pace is good and sometimes it's not, but overall it's much [해외 카지노 사이트](https://www.outlookindia.com/plugin-play/2023년-한국을-대표하는-카지노-사이트-best-10-news-326663) better than it was in the beginning," said Cho. "At the beginning of the season, I felt like my hands weren't scratching the ball well when I threw it, but now I feel like the ball is scratching and pressing well. I want to throw a little stronger, but I want to pick up the pace as soon as possible to show better results."

After starting the season as a set-up man rather than a closer because of his lack of velocity early in the season, Cho gradually picked up his pace and returned to the closer's role in June. "There's nothing different about pitching in the middle or the end of the game because it's the same one inning. It's good because it's much easier to prepare for the game," he laughed.

Cho, who was selected to the All-Star team as a manager's pick, pitched ⅔ of a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game on July 7. He even took the mound dressed as a firefighter and sprayed fire extinguishers. "I did it because the team took care of my performance," said Cho, who smiled, "I'm not really good at that, so I was a little embarrassed and shy. There was Kim Ji-chan on first base, who hit my ball so well, so I jokingly threw a fire extinguisher at him. I didn't expect a grounder to third base (Byungsal) right after that, so I was happy that it worked out," he said, reflecting on the All-Star Game.

Kiwoom, which won the first [game](https://sportstotosite.pro) of the second half with Cho Sang-woo's save, will try to win its second straight on Tuesday. The starting pitcher will be left-handed ace Enmanuel De Jesus. Hanwha will start Jaime Barria on the mound.