'Take your time, Mr. Hyun-min' — We're doing well without you! 'Choi Won-joon's 9th-inning grand slam' KT closes gap to 0.5 games behind 2nd place by defeating Kiwoom

*This content was translated by AI.

There is no substitute for the injured Ahn Hyun-min (23). With powerful hitting, KT Wiz has surged to closely chase the top spot after defeating the Kiwoom Heroes.

On the 29th, KT secured a 7-1 victory over Kiwoom in a regular-season away game at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. With this win, KT, now on a two-game winning streak, improved to 30 wins, 1 draw, and 20 losses, closing the gap to just 0.5 games behind second-place LG Twins (31 wins, 20 losses). Meanwhile, Kiwoom, now on a six-game losing streak, remained in last place with 20 wins, 1 draw, and 32 losses.

The turning point of the game came in the top of the 9th inning with KT leading 2-1 and one out. Kim Min-hyeok faced reliever Ha Young-min in a 0-ball, 2-strike count. After fouling off seven pitches, he reached base with a single to left field. Ryu Hyun-jin drew a walk. When Han Seung-taek hit a ground ball, third baseman Choi Ju-hwan's throw to second base for a potential double play went wide. During that play, pinch runner Bae Jeong-dae scored, while batter Ryu Hyun-jin advanced to second base.

From that moment, Kiwoom's pitching staff collapsed rapidly. Although they brought in Jo Young-geon as the new pitcher, they walked Kwon Dong-jin after a full-count battle, loading the bases. In the batter's box was Choi Won-joon, who had recorded a hit earlier in the game. Choi Won-joon took an outside first pitch, then crushed a curveball inside, sending it far over the right-field fence. It was his fourth home run of the season and his first grand slam. In the bottom of the 9th, Kiwoom attempted a comeback when Choi Ju-hwan hit a triple down the right-field line, but after Kim Geon-hee drew a walk, Park Chae-ool hit into a double play, sealing the loss.

KT displayed well-structured hitting throughout the game. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, with KT trailing 0-1, Sam Hilliard singled to left field, and Heo Kyung-min singled to center field, creating a scoring opportunity. Kim Min-hyeok and Ryu Hyun-jin were retired on a center field fly ball and a strikeout, respectively, but Han Seung-taek hit a single to center field with one RBI to tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the 7th inning, KT finally took the lead against Yuto Kanakubo. Leadoff hitter Kim Min-hyeok drew a walk, but Ryu Hyun-jin flew out to left field and Han Seung-taek flew out to third base. However, Kwon Dong-jin then hit a massive triple to right-center field, giving KT a 2-1 lead. KT then produced a big inning in the 9th to seal the victory.

As a result, KT's starting pitcher Matt Sauer earned his first Quality Start Plus (seven innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs) of the season, going seven innings, allowing four hits, five walks, striking out three, and giving up one earned run. This marked his fourth win (with two losses) of the season. Conversely, Kiwoom's starter Bae Dong-hyun pitched six innings, allowing six hits, one walk, striking out four, and giving up one earned run, but received no support from a batting lineup that managed only five hits, leaving him without a win.

On this day, eight KT batters combined for nine hits, showing balanced offensive performance. The day before (28th), KT also hit 13 hits, including long and short hits, and scored six runs in a single inning. Back-to-back big innings demonstrated KT's sharp hitting. It has already been a month since Ahn Hyun-min's absence. The team's strong offense has made it possible for Ahn Hyun-min to return slowly without rushing his comeback.

Ahn Hyun-min injured his right hamstring while running the bases during the match against Changwon NC Dinos on the 15th of last month. Two rounds of examinations revealed significant blood accumulation in his right thigh, requiring considerable time for recovery. Consequently, his return date was delayed further. After completing a medical checkup on the 29th, Ahn Hyun-min is scheduled to join the Futures League team in Iksan, Jeonbuk, to undergo running and batting drills.

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*This content was translated by AI.