"You handle it your way": The behind-the-scenes story of the miraculous triple play, how a pitcher scheduled to be replaced in the fourth inning secured his first win in 373 days [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I was originally supposed to be replaced after the fourth inning..."

The more you learn, the more intriguing the behind-the-scenes story becomes. KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) and Bae Je-seong (30) revealed the untold story behind their first win in 373 days.

On the 1st, Bae Je-seong started for KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park against Hanwha Eagles in a regular-season home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He pitched five innings, allowing seven hits (two home runs), two walks, and four earned runs, leading KT to a 7-4 victory with three strikeouts.

This was also a precious victory that lifted KT back to first place for the first time in 70 days since May 23. It was a hard-fought win. After allowing their first run in the top of the third inning, they received seven runs of support only in the bottom of the third. However, they were once again trailing after Noh Si-hwan hit a solo home run to left field and Heo In-seo hit a two-run home run to left field in the top of the fourth.

As planned, Bae Je-seong was supposed to be replaced after throwing only through the bottom of the fourth inning. Although he had thrown just 65 pitches by the end of the fourth, his sudden transition from bullpen work throughout the season to a starting role was taken into consideration. After the game, when asked by reporters, Bae Je-seong laughed and said, "I was supposed to be replaced after the fourth inning, so I thought I'd finish it up. But suddenly they told me to go for one more inning. Honestly, I was fine. It's okay if you get pulled early because you couldn't pitch well, but I had been told I could throw up to 120 pitches if I was pitching well."

The reason he wasn't replaced was revealed the next day. Manager Lee Kang-cheol recalled, "I was considering replacing Bae Je-seong, but then I just told him to keep pitching. After giving up a hit and a walk to the first two batters, I felt I couldn't pull him out, so I left him in."

With no outs and runners on first and second, Hanwha's batting order featured a zigzag clean-up lineup: right-handed hitter Han Ji-yoon, followed by left-handed hitter Kang Baek-ho, then right-handed hitter Noh Si-hwan again. While Han Ji-yoon's power hitting was something to watch out for, it wasn't an easy decision to make a substitution at that moment.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol burst out laughing as he explained, "Originally, I was planning to bring in (Jeon) Yong-ju, but since Han Ji-yoon is a right-handed hitter, it was tricky. Also, there was no one available to pitch in the sixth through ninth innings if we made a change after just one batter. So I hoped Han Ji-yoon would hit a slider and get out cleanly. If he did, I planned to bring in either Yong-ju or (Woo) Gyu-min, but then the triple play happened."

While the manager was deliberating back and forth, KT and Bae Je-seong found themselves in the best possible situation. The ball hit by Han Ji-yoon toward third base went straight to veteran infielder Heo Kyung-min near the bag, instantly resulting in a triple play. The nimble plays of veteran infielders Heo Kyung-min, Kim Sang-su, and Oh Yun-seok stood out.

With that, Bae Je-seong secured the win criteria. With help from his team's offense and bullpen, he became the winning pitcher for the first time in 373 days since July 24 last year against Changwon NC Dinos (five innings, three earned runs).

Bae Je-seong himself did not expect the triple play to happen. He said, "When I saw (Heo) Kyung-min catch the ball inside the line, I thought we'd definitely get two outs. But the fielders moved quickly and got the out at first base. It could have been even tougher since the next batter was (Kang) Baek-ho, so it was truly a relief."

Although he had dramatically secured the win criteria, there was no time to celebrate. Bae Je-seong reflected, "I still hadn't recovered from giving up extra-base hits in every inning, so when the triple play happened, I didn't feel much emotion at the moment."

This victory was even more precious due to the twists and turns experienced early in the season. Although Bae Je-seong showed excellent conditioning during spring training and was expected to join the starting rotation, shoulder pain derailed his plans. He then began the season in the bullpen, moving between starting and relief roles while waiting for a defined role without any fixed assignment.

Bae Je-seong shared his inner thoughts: "During camp, I thought my body condition and pitching balance couldn't get any better. But after the shoulder issue arose, my balance kept getting shaken." He added, "It was my fault that I didn't manage my body properly, and I felt very regretful about it."

His physical condition is not yet perfect. Bae Je-seong explained, "I'm not at 100%, but tests show there's no major problem. There is some slight discomfort, but nothing that harms the body. Thanks to thorough management by the training staff, I've been able to pitch without major issues throughout the season."

After a long wait, he finally secured a win, but Bae Je-seong placed greater significance on the team's return to first place than on his personal record. He candidly expressed his feelings: "Actually, compared to the expectations from the team and fans, my performance hasn't met those standards. I feel somewhat embarrassed and deeply sorry."

He continued, "I want to contribute as much as possible to victories in the remaining regular season and the postseason. Ultimately, if the team wins the championship, everything will turn out well, so right now I'm only focused on the team's standing."

KT is scheduled to lose key pitchers such as So Hyoung-jun (25) and Park Young-hyun (23) during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September. Given that Bae Je-seong has experience both as a starter and reliever, he is likely to be given an important role again.

Bae Je-seong said, "In the past, I had a set position during the season. The current situation is ultimately due to my lack of ability." However, he added, "That doesn't mean I have no ambition. When opportunities come sporadically like this, I need to show slightly better performance each time."

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*This content was translated by AI.