"I wanted to be a catcher," An Hyun-min joked, to which Hilaryd cheerfully retorted, "You're thinking about being a catcher now? How can you not trust me!" '4-9 to 10-9' 9th inning behind [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

The lighthearted banter among teammates following the magical walk-off moment offered a glimpse into the KT Wiz team atmosphere.

On the 20th, at the Suwon KT Wiz Park, KT staged a massive 6-run inning in the bottom of the 9th against the KIA Tigers, rallying from a 4-9 deficit to secure a 10-9 comeback victory. With this dramatic win, KT snapped a two-game losing streak and maintained a two-game lead over first-place LG Twins with a record of 41 wins, 1 tie, and 27 losses. KIA, whose winning streak of three games was halted by a shocking comeback loss, remained in fourth place with a record of 37 wins, 1 tie, and 33 losses.

It was a miraculous comeback victory. When the bottom of the 9th began with KT trailing 4-9, few would have expected a turnaround. Moreover, the mound was occupied by closer Sung Young-tak, who boasted an ERA of 1.78, and veteran catcher Kim Tae-gun had taken his place behind the plate.

However, things did not look promising from the start. Leadoff batter Sam Hilaryd targeted Sung Young-tak's first pitch and launched a solo home run over the right-field wall. Kim Min-hyeok then followed with a powerful double to the right-field fence after a 12-pitch at-bat, building momentum. Ryu Hyun-jin drew a walk, and Oh Yun-seok singled to left field. Although left fielder Park Jae-hyun appeared to make a diving catch, video review confirmed it was a one-bounce catch, resulting in a correction to one out with runners on first and second, and bases loaded with no outs.

From that point on, the stadium began to heat up. An Chi-young drew a bases-loaded walk, and Kwon Dong-jin hit a two-run double to center field, narrowing the gap to one run. The KIA pitching staff was then replaced by Kim Beom-soo. With Jang Jin-hyeok at bat, runner An Chi-young was thrown out at third base on a pickoff attempt, and Bae Jeong-dae flew out to center field, seemingly shifting momentum back to KIA.

But KT's core lineup was formidable. Heo Kyung-min reached base on a hit-by-pitch, and An Hyun-min, facing a 0-ball, 2-strike count, delivered a one-run single to center field, finally tying the game at 9-9. An Hyun-min then easily stole second base, quickly putting himself in scoring position. Hilaryd stepped up to the plate again and hit the ball to center field. The ball struck the shortstop's glove and rolled back, sealing KT's victory.

Even the winning players found the comeback unbelievable. After the game, An Hyun-min told reporters, "The pickoff attempt on An Chi-young was a mistake, making it harder to tie the game more easily. Before the play, I felt strongly that I had to get a hit, but after the failed play, I felt even more strongly that I had to get a hit before the end of the 9th. I was lucky."

Since both Han Seung-taek and Jo Dae-hyun had been substituted as pinch hitters earlier, the game would have gone into extra innings with An Hyun-min, a former catcher, needing to wear the catcher's mask. KT was aware of this and had already signaled An Hyun-min in advance, and Jo Dae-hyun had fully set up his catcher's gear.

An Hyun-min was a starting catcher at Masan High School and joined KT in the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft's second round, fourth round. Although he wore the catcher's mask a few times in the minor leagues during his rookie season, he had no experience at the first division level. An Hyun-min responded, "Actually, I hit the tying run because I really wanted to try being a catcher at least once. That's how opportunities come. In fact, I've been a catcher since the third grade of elementary school, for over 10 years, so I have a deep affection for the position. I always wanted to try it in the pros, and I thought today was my chance."

He then added with a mix of regret and humor, "Jo Dae-hyun had prepared everything, but I didn't expect Hilaryd to hit from behind. I was just thinking about how to play catcher in extra innings as a runner. But I'm grateful that Hilaryd hit the ball, so while I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't catch, I'm thankful he helped us win."

How did Hilaryd respond to An Hyun-min's joke? Hilaryd laughed and said, "First of all, it's sad that An Hyun-min didn't trust me like that. That wasn't the time to think about being a catcher..." He then cheerfully added, "I should have thought that since I hit the hit, An Hyun-min wouldn't have to catch. I should have trusted my teammate a bit more."

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*This content was translated by AI.