5 wins 11 losses → 9 wins 3 losses: KT, which helped LG win last year, has already secured a dominant season this year

*This content was translated by AI.

It was March 31, early in this season. Lee Kang-cheol (60), manager of KT Wiz, had a bright expression as he met ahead of the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles game. Having just returned after winning both opening series against LG Twins at Jamsil, he smiled and said, "We have always struggled against LG, but this time we won in the way we used to lose, which is significant."

As Manager Lee noted, KT has historically had particular difficulty against LG. Since entering the first division in 2015, KT held a superior head-to-head record over the next 11 seasons only once — in 2021 when they won the championship (8 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses). When LG claimed their first title in 29 years in 2023, their opponent in the Korean Series was KT (4 wins, 1 loss).

Especially last year, KT fell significantly behind LG with a record of 5 wins and 11 losses. They led 4-2 in the first six games but were thoroughly outmatched afterward, losing nine of ten games. During the intense battle for first place between LG and Hanwha on September 16 and 18 (doubleheaders), KT suffered sweeps by LG at Suwon. In baseball circles, it was even said that "KT effectively helped LG win the championship."

However, their situation changed completely within just one year. This season, KT has shown overwhelming dominance over LG with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses. Notably, they swept all four games in the first series of the second half held from the 16th to the 19th at Jamsil.

The standings have also flipped. KT reclaimed second place after surpassing LG, ending a 23-day absence from that position. For LG, which had led until the 8th before dropping to third, this was a devastating loss.

Manager Lee said during the opening two-game sweep, "In past games against LG, we often scored first only to lose in the end. But this time we won in that same manner, so I think the players will gain more confidence."

The same pattern held in this four-game series. On the 16th, KT was trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth but managed to hold on for a one-run victory. On the 18th, they were down 1-2 but turned the game around mid-innings to win 8-2. On the 19th, they took a 4-0 lead after scoring three runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings, then held off LG's comeback attempt by just one run in the bottom of the ninth.

With these four wins, KT has already secured superiority over LG for this season regardless of the outcome of their remaining four games. However, since both teams are competing for top positions, a fierce battle without concessions is expected to continue until the end. The two teams will face each other in a three-game series at Jamsil from the 18th to 20, plus one additional unassigned game (at Suwon).

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*This content was translated by AI.