The KBO's first 'nine left-handed hitters' in 45 years → They were blocked by one Boschley! KT's first home win, Samsung overpowered 2-0 [Suwon Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz took care of its first home win in the 2026 season thanks to the stable performance of ace Caleb Boschley (33).

KT beat the Samsung Lions 2-0 in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season home game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 5th.

As a result, KT, which avoided sweeping with one win after two consecutive losses, recorded 6 wins and 2 losses and finished this week with a 50% win rate. Samsung, which was blocked from winning four consecutive games, was satisfied with the Winning Series with four wins, one draw and three losses.

Samsung placed all left-handed hitters in the starting lineup for the first time in the KBO's 45-year history. According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), there were a total of 34 lineups with eight left-handed hitters. The closest thing was the Doosan Bears in 2018, when eight left-handed hitters included a switch heater (Kuk Hae-sung). It was an inevitable lineup due to the injury of the main shortstop Lee Jae-hyun. Lee Jae-hyun was excluded from the previous day's game due to pain in his right hamstring and was given rest on the same day.

The historic lineup was also tied to one pitcher. KT starting pitcher Boschley succeeded in a quality start (more than six innings and less than three earned runs) with five hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in six innings (92 pitches) and won his second game of the season. Since then, Pil Seung-jo, who leads to Kim Min-soo, Han Seung-hyuk, and Park Young-hyun, has kept the lead without losing a point.

Samsung starter Jack O'Rourkelyn also made a quality start with five hits, two walks, five strikeouts and two runs in six innings. However, he became a losing pitcher without the help of the batters.

The match was decided by the concentration of the batters. Both teams had six hits each. Kim Hyun-soo scored the only multi-hit with two hits in four at-bats, Hilliard made one hit and one RBI in two at-bats, and Oh Yoon-seok made one hit and one RBI in three at-bats. In Samsung, Choi Hyung-woo was sluggish with two double plays. Kim Young-woong and Yang Woo-hyun recorded multi-hitters, but were buried in the team's defeat.

On this day, KT formed a lineup of Choi Won-joon (center fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Ahn Hyun-min (right fielder), Sam Hilliard (left fielder), Jang Sung-woo (designated hitter), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Oh Yoon-seok (third baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Lee Kang-min (striker). The starting pitcher is Caleb Boschley

Against this, Samsung consisted of Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Su-ho (right wing), Koo Ja-wook (left wing), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Park Se-hyuk (catcher), and Yang Woo-hyun (striker). The starting pitcher is Jack O'Rourkelyn.

KT, the home team, scored the first goal. In the bottom of the second inning, leadoff hitter Hilliard got on base with a heavy hit. Hillierdo headed to second base on Jang Sung-woo's ground ball and homered on Oh Yoon-seok's timely RBI double on the left field line.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning, Choi Won-joon walked, Kim Hyun-soo hit to the right, and Ahn Hyun-min walked to fill all bases. Hilliard sent the ball to the far left of the outfield to bring Choi Won-joon home.

KT Boschley's overwhelming pitching also continued. Boschley, who finished with three outs in the first inning, had a heavy hit after a 10-pitch game with Choi Hyung-woo in the second inning. Kim Young-woong also allowed a hit to the middle field, putting him on the verge of hitting first and third bases with two outs, but he handled Park Se-hyuk with a fly ball to left field to prevent him from losing a point.

Boschley made up for Choi Hyung-woo's disappointment in the top of the fourth inning. Diaz received a heavy hit, but threw a series of outside balls to Choi Hyung-woo to draw a double play ball with a change-up.

He went up to the sixth inning by cutting within five pitches per batter. In the top of the sixth inning, the last inning, he gave consecutive walks to Soo-ho and Koo Ja-wook, but he completed the scoreless pitching by catching Diaz with a fly ball to center field and Choi Hyung-woo double play.

There was a dizzying scene in the top of the seventh inning. Kim Young-woong hit the changed pitcher Kim Min-soo's fifth pitch to make a hit between the first and second bases. In the process, Kim Min-soo fell as Kim Min-soo, who came in for the first base cover, and Kim Young-woong, who slid head first, overlapped. Kim Min-soo fortunately shook off and got up and struck out pinch hitter Kang Min-ho to complete the mission.

Since then, KT's victory has been confirmed without additional points amid the performance of both teams' bullpen teams.

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*This content was translated by AI.