'7th inning: 4 consecutive on-base streak; 8th inning: 5 consecutive hits' — KT's insane cohesion... Hanwha's 8-game losing streak leads to drop to 9th place [Suwon Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz handed Hanwha Eagles an eighth consecutive loss, leveraging an overwhelming gap in concentration and focus.

On the 2nd, KT secured a 9-6 victory over Hanwha Eagles in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park.

KT, riding a two-game winning streak, improved to 68 wins, 43 losses, and 3 ties, maintaining second place just half a game behind the first-place Samsung Lions, who are on a seven-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Hanwha, now in an eight-game losing streak, fell to 49 wins, 63 losses, and 3 ties, surrendering eighth place to SSG Landers after their win today and dropping to ninth.

KT lined up its batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (center fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), An Hyeon-min (right fielder), Sam Hilliard (left fielder), Kim Min-hyuk (designated hitter), Kim Sang-su (second baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Jo Dae-hyun (catcher), and Jang Jun-won (shortstop). Starting pitcher was So Hyoung-jun.

Hanwha countered with Choi In-ho (center fielder), Yonatan Peraza (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kim Tae-yeon (first baseman), Heo In-seo (catcher), Hwang Young-mok (second baseman), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). Ryu Hyun-jin started on the mound.

In the early innings, KT capitalized on Hanwha's shaky defense to build a lead. In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Choi Won-jun reached base after a shortstop throwing error, followed by Kim Hyun-soo's single to left field. After An Hyeon-min and Hilliard struck out consecutively, with one out and runners on first and third, Kim Min-hyuk grounded out to center field, allowing the tying run to score.

In the second inning, Hanwha's defense wavered further. Heo Kyung-min and Jo Dae-hyun hit consecutive singles, and Jang Jun-won executed a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third. Choi Won-jun then singled to center field, bringing the runner from third home. However, the scene turned chaotic: Hanwha's center fielder Choi In-ho failed to catch the ball cleanly, and Jo Dae-hyun, who had reached third base, seized the opportunity to score an additional run.

With two outs and a runner on second, An Hyeon-min drew a walk, then Hilliard hit a ground ball to the third baseman and sprinted toward first base. The umpire ruled him safe. Kim Tae-yeon protested angrily and requested a video review. In the confusion, Choi Won-jun, who had reached third base, watched Kim Tae-yeon's reaction and scored at home plate. Although Hanwha also requested a video review, the original call stood, extending KT's lead to 4-0.

Ryu Hyun-jin struggled defensively, throwing 50 pitches through the second inning. He pitched cleanly from the third to fifth innings but could not return to the mound in the sixth.

In contrast, KT starter So Hyoung-jun received strong support from his infielders. In the bottom of the third with one out, he allowed three consecutive hits and faced a bases-loaded crisis. Third baseman Heo Kyung-min caught Kang Baek-ho's foul fly ball while colliding with the infield wall, then induced Noh Si-hwan into a groundout to escape the jam unscathed.

So Hyoung-jun could not maintain his composure until the end. Leading 4-0, he allowed consecutive hits to Sim Woo-jun and Choi In-ho in the top of the fifth. After inducing a ground ball from Peraza, he faced a bases-loaded situation with one out. Moon Hyun-bin delivered a two-run single, and Kang Baek-ho hit a three-run home run over the center field fence (his 28th of the season), leaving So Hyoung-jun with his head bowed.

KT brought in Woo Kyu-min in the sixth and Jeon Yong-ju in the seventh to neutralize Hanwha's lineup. In the seventh, they seized another opportunity: against Hanwha pitcher Bruce Zimmermann, An Hyeon-min drew a walk, then Kim Min-hyuk hit a two-run double with one out. As An Hyeon-min circled second and third bases toward home plate, Hanwha's second baseman Hwang Young-mok's throw to the plate went awry, allowing KT to take the lead. Kim Sang-su then drew a walk, followed by Heo Kyung-min's RBI single, adding another run.

In the eighth inning, KT completely crushed Hanwha's comeback hopes. Sugimoto Kouki, who entered in the top of the eighth, retired Hanwha's core hitters Kang Baek-ho, Noh Si-hwan, and Kim Tae-yeon with three consecutive strikeouts. His repertoire included a variety of pitches: forkball, fastball, and slider.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hilliard hit a solo home run over the center field fence (his 31st), followed by Kim Min-hyuk's triple. Kim Sang-su, Heo Kyung-min, and Son Min-seok then hit consecutive singles, adding two more runs.

Leading 9-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Lee Sang-dong took the mound but allowed home runs to Yoo Min and Park Jeong-hyun, narrowing the score to 9-6. Kim Jung-won entered the game and retired Han Ji-yoon and Bae Seung-su on routine groundouts, securing the victory for his team.

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*This content was translated by AI.