'First in history' KIA manager Lee Beom-ho's "divine move" with a 9th-inning pinch-hit walk-off grand slam: "There was a reason I trusted him, based on past head-to-head records against Kim Won-joong."

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KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho, who orchestrated a dramatic walk-off comeback victory, shared his post-game reflections.

On the 25th, at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, KIA defeated the Lotte Giants in a regular-season home game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League with a 9th-inning walk-off win, 8-5.

With this victory, KIA improved to 61 wins, 50 losses, and 2 ties, securing sole possession of 4th place in the league. The team successfully snapped its two-game losing streak and maintained a half-game lead over 3rd-place LG Twins.

KIA's starting pitcher Shirakawa pitched 4⅔ innings (74 pitches total), allowing 7 hits, issuing 1 walk, striking out 5 batters, and surrendering 5 earned runs. This marked his fifth near-loss of the season, but the team's dramatic comeback victory spared him from defeat.

Following Shirakawa, Jung Hae-young (1⅓ innings), Kim Beom-su (⅓ inning), Sung Young-tak (1⅔ innings), and Jo Sang-woo (1 inning) pitched in succession. In a lineup that recorded 13 hits total, Na Seong-beom collected 3 hits, while Kim Do-young and Park Sang-jun each recorded multi-hit performances.

In the bottom of the 1st inning with two outs and runners on second base, Na Seong-beom hit an RBI double that slipped past the third baseman. Later in the bottom of the 3rd inning, with one out and runners on first and second, Kim Sun-bin delivered an RBI single to center field.

However, in the top of the 5th inning, starting pitcher Shirakawa faltered, allowing five runs to score.

But KIA did not give up easily. In the bottom of the 6th inning with no outs and a runner on first, Ha Joo-seok delivered a decisive hit. After falling behind 1-0 in the count, he connected with the second pitch—a forkball located high and outside—and launched it over the left-center field fence for a two-run home run. This was Ha's second home run of the season, traveling 120 meters. The score narrowed to 5-4, just one run apart.

Then came KIA's final offensive opportunity in the bottom of the 9th inning. Lotte brought in closer Kim Won-joong. After a single by Na Seong-beom with one out, followed by a hit from Kim Ho-ryeong and a walk to Kim Tae-gun with two outs, the bases were loaded. KIA substituted Lee Ho-yeon for Byun Woo-hyuk. With a 2-1 count, Lee targeted the fourth pitch—a forkball—and sent it soaring over the right-field fence for a dramatic walk-off grand slam that secured the victory. This marks the first time in KBO League history that a pinch-hit walk-off grand slam home run has occurred with two outs in the 9th inning.

After the game, "winning manager" Lee Beom-ho of KIA stated, "This was an extremely important game, and Lee Ho-yeon did something huge for the team. We had been preparing to use him whenever a chance arose in the bottom of the 9th. I trusted him because he had previously recorded hits against Kim Won-joong in head-to-head matchups, and he lived up to my expectations. I told him to ignore low pitches and focus on high ones; it seems he got a feel for the situation after swinging at a low first pitch."

He continued, "Without Sung Young-tak on the mound, the comeback would have been difficult. He entered in the top of the 7th inning with one out and bases loaded, a critical situation, and shut down the inning perfectly over 1⅔ innings. His velocity appears to be recovering. Jung Hae-young and Jo Sang-woo also pitched well without allowing any runs."

Finally, the manager added, "If we had lost this game today, our losing streak would have continued. But every player gave their all until the very end, which allowed us to win. Thank you to everyone for your hard work, and I am grateful to the fans who supported us throughout."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original