'4-point lead, Park Young-hyun enters with strong move' KT solidifies 3rd place, crushes Kiwoom 7-3 → 3-game winning streak! Kiwoom falls into 4-game losing slump [Suwon Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz defeated the Kiwoom Heroes and embarked on a three-game winning streak.

On the 8th, KT secured a decisive 7-3 victory over Kiwoom in a home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park as part of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.' With this win, KT gained momentum with a three-game winning streak, while Kiwoom fell into a four-game losing slump.

For this game, KT set its starting lineup in the following order: Choi Won-jun (designated hitter), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Ahn Hyeon-min (left fielder), Hilliard (right fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Sang-su (second baseman), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). Left-handed foreign pitcher Logan Allen took the mound as the starting pitcher.

In response, Kiwoom arranged its batting order as follows: Seo Geon-chang (second baseman), Ahn Chi-hong (designated hitter), Davison (first baseman), Hyu-ra (left fielder), Park Chan-hyuk (right fielder), Choo Jae-hyun (center fielder), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), Kwon Hyeok-bin (shortstop), and Yeo Dong-wook (third baseman). Starting pitcher Bae Dong-hyun took the mound.

Kiwoom scored first. In the top of the 1st inning with one out, Ahn Chi-hong reached base with a hit to left field. Davison followed with a hit to left field after a tough full-count battle, putting runners on first and second with one out. Subsequent batter Hyu-ra drew a walk to load the bases, and Park Chan-hyuk earned a bases-loaded walk, giving Kiwoom a 1-0 lead.

However, KT immediately counterattacked in the bottom of the 2nd inning to turn the game around. Heo Kyung-min and Kim Sang-su hit consecutive singles to create scoring opportunities. Although Bae Jeong-dae struck out, Han Seung-taek hit a go-ahead single to left field to tie the game. Following Kwon Dong-jin's fly ball to center field, an error by the first baseman occurred during Choi Won-jun's at-bat, allowing the runner from third base to score and giving KT a 2-1 lead.

Both teams continued to engage in fierce back-and-forth action. In the top of the 3rd inning with two outs and no runners on base, Hyu-ra and Park Chan-hyuk hit consecutive solo home runs, allowing Kiwoom to retake the lead at 3-2. In response, KT's Kim Sang-su hit a go-ahead single in the bottom of the 3rd inning with one out and runners on first and second, tying the game at 3-3.

The momentum shifted back to KT in the bottom of the 4th inning. Although leadoff batter Kwon Dong-jin was retired on a fly ball to left field, Choi Won-jun hit a hit to center-left field, opening the scoring. Kim Hyun-soo followed with a hit to right field, advancing Choi Won-jun to third base. With one out and runners on first and third, Ahn Hyeon-min hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field, allowing Choi Won-jun to score from third base. KT took a 4-3 lead once again.

KT extended its lead further in the bottom of the 5th inning. Leadoff batter Heo Kyung-min reached base with a hit to left field after a six-pitch battle, prompting Kiwoom to replace starting pitcher Bae Dong-hyun with Park Jeong-hoon. However, Kim Sang-su calmly executed a sacrifice bunt in front of the new pitcher, advancing Heo Kyung-min to second base. Subsequently, Bae Jeong-dae hit a two-run single to center field, bringing Heo Kyung-min home and making it 5-3.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, KT drove in another run to seal the game. Leadoff batter Kim Sang-su drew a walk against reliever Park Jin-hyung after a tight seven-pitch at-bat. Subsequent batter Bae Jeong-dae hit the first pitch from the new pitcher for a double over the left-field fence, while Kim Sang-su scored from first base, extending KT's lead to 6-3.

KT's offense did not stop there. Han Seung-taek calmly executed another sacrifice bunt in front of the pitcher, advancing Bae Jeong-dae to third base. With one out and a runner on third, pinch hitter Kim Min-hyuk replaced Kwon Dong-jin and hit the first pitch for a sacrifice fly to center field, widening the score gap to 7-3.

In the top of the 9th inning, despite holding a four-run lead, KT's bench opted for a bold move by bringing in closer Park Young-hyun. Although he allowed walks and hits that created scoring opportunities with runners on first and second, he successfully closed out the game.

KT starter Logan pitched poorly over 4 innings, allowing 7 hits (including 2 home runs), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs. However, relievers Son Dong-hyun, Woo Kyu-min, Joo Kwon, Lee Sang-dong, Sugiimoto, and Park Young-hyun all pitched scoreless innings. Offensively, Heo Kyung-min went 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored, while Bae Jeong-dae contributed with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 4 at-bats. In contrast, Kiwoom starter Bae Dong-hyun allowed 9 hits over 4 innings with 5 strikeouts and 4 earned runs (2 unearned), receiving no defensive support.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.