*This content was translated by AI.
What kind of fate prank is this? He failed to get opportunities with his previous team, but after transferring, he has delivered gold-worthy performances. The momentum of the man who wrote KBO history is tremendous. Even the manager trusted his momentum and sent him out as a starter. And once again, he met the expectations of both the manager and fans. Lee Ho-yeon (31), the hero of the 9th-inning, two-out, walk-off, bases-loaded, game-winning home run, is showing extraordinary performance.
On the 26th, KIA secured a 16-11 victory over Lotte Giants in their regular-season home game at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.
KIA had already won 16-5 on the 25th when Lee Ho-yeon hit the first-ever 'two-out, pinch-hit, walk-off, bases-loaded home run' in KBO history in the bottom of the 9th inning. Adding this victory to the one on the 26th, they succeeded in a two-game winning streak.
Having secured the winning series, KIA will now challenge for a series sweep by starting Yang Hyeon-jong against Lotte on the afternoon of the 27th at 6:30 p.m.
With this win, KIA recorded 62 wins, 50 losses, and 2 ties, maintaining sole possession of 4th place in the league. They have succeeded in a two-game winning streak recently. On the same day, they maintained a half-game lead over 3rd-place LG Twins, who defeated NC Dinos.
In the game on the 26th, Lee Ho-yeon was placed at the top of the batting order instead of Park Jae-hyun, who usually served as the leadoff hitter this season.
There was a reason. Before this game, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho said, "(Park) Jae-hyun has been feeling slightly unwell, so I was worried about putting him in the leadoff spot and decided to put Lee Ho-yeon instead. He had momentum on the 25th. It hasn't even been 24 hours yet," smiling before adding, "I hope he can carry that momentum well through today," expressing his expectations.
And Lee Ho-yeon delivered a perfect performance as a leadoff hitter. In five plate appearances with three at-bats, he recorded two hits, one RBI, four runs scored, one hit-by-pitch, and one walk.
From his first plate appearance in the bottom of the 1st inning, he successfully reached base. He walked after being hit by a pitch thrown by Lotte starter Rodriguez. Then, when Kim Do-young hit a three-run home run, Lee scored as well.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, he appeared as the leadoff hitter and reached base with an infield single to left field. With a 1-1 count, he did not miss the third pitch, a changeup in the middle of the plate, and hit it well. Then, after one out, when Kim Do-young hit a two-run double to deep center-left field, Lee scored again, recording his second run of the day.
Lee Ho-yeon's precise hitting continued. In the 4th inning with no outs and a runner on first base, he stepped up for his third plate appearance. This time, he connected with Rodriguez' first pitch, an outside 152 km/h two-seam fastball, driving it to deep center-left field for a two-run double. It was a hit that confirmed his bat was truly finding its rhythm.
That was not the end. In the bottom of the 5th inning with two outs and runners on first and second base, he faced Lotte reliever Kim Han-gyeol and calmly drew four consecutive walks. This was the moment he completed his four-times-on-base game for the day. Later, when Kim Seon-bin hit a three-run double to deep center field, Lee scored again, successfully reaching home plate. In the 7th inning, he struck out against Min In-seok on a full-count pitch, swallowing his disappointment.
KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, the team's commander, brought up many stories about Lee Ho-yeon before the game on the 26th. Regarding the situation during the bases-loaded home run, the manager said, "I didn't think it would be a home run; I just hoped he would keep advancing, so when it became a home run, I was surprised. I saw the interview too, and it was quite moving."
He continued, "My side has been slightly uncomfortable since spring camp. Because of that part in the Futures League, there were times when my batting balance didn't feel right. I trained while worried and played in games, but I hope this game becomes a turning point so he can produce good results going forward. It was really good to see him smile after such a long time," offering his applause.
The manager added, "He was brought up to the first division because his balance was good in the Futures League. He couldn't play many games due to the heatwave break. However, while practicing and listening to his thoughts during conversations with me, I found it very positive. I had been thinking about when to keep sending him out as a starter. So, looking at the records (during the 9th-inning, two-out, bases-loaded situation), he hit an off Kim Won-jung. He has such great hitting skills that he can produce a hit anytime. Last season, his batting average was around .343. We also brought him from KT based on that. He is also very good at pinch-hitting and has gained much experience in important situations. So, when an important situation came up, I thought we should use Ho-yeon, and fortunately, the opportunity came at the end."
During the bases-loaded home run, Lee Ho-yeon swung and missed at the first pitch, a low forkball. The second pitch, a fastball (146 km/h), was far outside. The third pitch, another forkball, also went high and outside for a ball. Then came the fourth pitch. Kim Won-jung's forkball (133 km/h) moved to the middle of the plate, and Lee Ho-yeon did not miss it, driving it over the fence.
Here, the manager particularly focused on the first-swing miss. He said, "I probably thought he would try to throw low, so I wanted him to establish a high strike zone. But after swinging at the low first pitch and watching two more pitches, it seems his tension eased up on the first pitch. After swinging at the first pitch, his tension relaxed, and he set the strike zone height well. Kim Won-jung is a pitcher who can freely use forkballs even in full-count situations. He must have had that pitch in mind a lot as well. With bases loaded, it's hard to throw low forkballs because a blocking error would immediately lead to runs. So, I told him, 'Since there will be more situations with high pitches than low ones, wait for the timing on those.' That was the reason. Therefore, after swinging and missing at the first pitch, when an errant pitch came while he had established a high zone, he was able to hit well." He analyzed it meticulously.
Lee Ho-yeon, who graduated from Gwangju Suchang Elementary, Jinheung Middle School, Gwangju Jeil High School, and Sungkyunkwan University, put on the KIA uniform after being selected 53rd overall in the 2nd round of the 2018 Rookie Draft. He later played for KT Wiz before being drafted by KIA with the 11th pick in the 3rd round of the 2025 KBO Second Draft held last November, transferring to the team.
KIA will join the Park Jae-hyeon-i (CEO) team during the Asian Games period and head to Japan, the decisive venue. This could be a concern for the leadoff spot. Currently, Lee Ho-yeon appears capable of sufficiently filling that gap. Additionally, KIA saw Lee Ui-ri, who had been struggling, make a perfect comeback. Other clubs also send their key players to the Seon Su-deul-eul (CEO) team during the Asian Games period. However, this means KIA has created an opportunity to become even stronger than other teams. KIA fans' expectations are rising further.
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*This content was translated by AI.
