'End-of-inning walk-off grand slam allowed, shocking blown save' KIA loses game it had in hand! Kiwoom '2:7→8:7' dramatic comeback [Gocheok on-site review]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The victory that seemed secured turned into a nightmare in an instant in the bottom of the 9th inning. The KIA Tigers suffered a painful comeback loss due to the shocking blown save by reliever Lee Ui-ri, who entered as the closer.

On the 23rd at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, KIA suffered a shocking walk-off comeback loss, 7-8, against Kiwoom Heroes in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' away game. Leading 7-2 through the 8th inning, KIA appeared poised to clinch its winning series and maintain third place, but the mound collapsed in the bottom of the 9th, surrendering six runs and forcing them to their knees. Kiwoom completed a dramatic comeback drama in the bottom of the 9th.

That day, KIA lined up Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Seon-bin (second baseman), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Castro (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Oh Sun-woo (designated hitter), Ha Joo-seok (shortstop), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), with starting pitcher James Neill taking the mound. Kiwoom countered with Seo Geon-chang (designated hitter), Choo Jae-hyun (left fielder), Davison (first baseman), An Chi-hong (second baseman), Kim Woong-bin (third baseman), Kim Keon-hee (catcher), Park Chan-hyuk (right fielder), Kwon Hyuk-bin (shortstop), and Park Ju-hong (center fielder), with starting pitcher Jeon Jun-pyo.

For much of the game, KIA's momentum was flawless. The first run came in the top of the 2nd inning. After a fly ball by Na Sung-beom, Kim Ho-ryeong hit a sacrifice fly to center field with one out and bases loaded following consecutive walks by Oh Sun-woo, Ha Joo-seok, and Kim Tae-gun, making it 1-0. In the top of the 3rd inning, Kim Do-young crushed Jeon Jun-pyo's third pitch—a 149 km/h fastball—to left-center field for a solo home run (his 38th of the season, traveling 135 meters), extending the lead to 2-0.

Kiwoom tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the 3rd inning with Davison's two-run home run over the left-field fence (traveling 115 meters), but KIA's lineup proved more potent. In the top of the 6th inning, after two outs, Kim Tae-gun doubled and Kim Ho-ryeong singled to load the bases. Park Jae-hyun then hit a three-run triple, driving in two runs to retake the lead at 4-2.

In the top of the 8th inning, it seemed like KIA was putting the game away. With one out and a runner on second base, Kim Tae-gun hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence (his 5th of the season, traveling 120 meters). Following that, with two outs, Park Jae-hyun doubled and Kim Seon-bin singled to drive in a run, instantly extending the lead to 7-2. On the mound, starter Neill delivered a quality start with six innings and two earned runs, while Jeon Sang-hyun, who entered in the 7th inning, recorded his 120th career hold (the 12th most all-time), appearing poised for a perfect victory formula.

But an unbelievable disaster unfolded in the bottom of the 9th inning. Sung Young-tak, who had entered in the 8th inning, was followed by Lee Tae-yang on the mound in the bottom of the 9th. After one out, Lee Tae-yang allowed consecutive hits to Kwon Hyuk-bin, Seo Geon-chang, and Choo Jae-hyun, loading the bases and creating a crisis.

KIA's bench quickly brought in left-handed reliever Lee Ui-ri. However, Lee Ui-ri immediately surrendered a two-run single to the first batter, Davison, narrowing the gap to 4-7. With runners still on base, he then allowed a shocking walk-off grand slam to subsequent batter Kim Jae-hyun, hanging his head in defeat. Neill's 10th win eligibility and the team's two home runs were instantly washed away along with Lee Ui-ri's shocking blown save in the bottom of the 9th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original