Kim Seon-bin's triple to Na Sung-beom's clutch home run! As the club sets a new record for most sellouts in its history, KIA veterans soared... The manager also expressed gratitude: "Winning today made it even more meaningful." [Gwangju Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Do-young's historic 40 home runs did not materialize again. Instead, KIA Tigers veterans Kim Seon-bin (37), Na Sung-beom (37), and Yang Hyeon-jong (38) stepped up at crucial moments to secure a winning series against the first-place KT Wiz.

KIA defeated KT 6-3 in a home game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 5th as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. With their second consecutive win, KIA secured the winning series early in the three-game set against KT.

The turning point came from veteran Kim Seon-bin. In the bottom of the fifth inning with no outs and runners on first and second while trailing 1-3, Kim hit a two-run triple to center-left field. It was his first triple since September 2 last year in a game against Daejeon Hanwha. Harold Castro then scored on an infield grounder, giving KIA a 4-3 lead.

KIA manager Lee Beom-ho praised the lineup after the game: "Kim Seon-bin led the team's offense with two extra-base hits. He has been showing excellent batting form throughout the second half."

On the mound, Yang Hyeon-jong held firm. Making his first start in a long time, Yang pitched five innings, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out two, giving up three earned runs to earn his 10th win of the season (with six losses). At 38 years, six months, and four days old, this 10th win places him fifth on the all-time list for oldest pitchers to reach 10 wins in KBO history. Sung Young-tak (one inning), Kwak Do-gyu (one inning), Jo Sang-woo (⅓ inning), and Jeon Sang-hyun (1⅔ innings) closed out the game thereafter.

Manager Lee Beom-ho said, "Even though it was Yang Hyeon-jong's first start in a while, he took responsibility for five innings and did his part well." He added, "Sung Young-tak and Kwak Do-gyu also pitched steadily, each handling one inning effectively."

The biggest crisis came in the top of the eighth inning. With KIA leading 4-3 and one out, they faced a bases-loaded situation. The momentum could have completely shifted, but shortstop Ha Joo-seok leaped to catch Choi Won-jun's hard-hit ball and stepped on second base himself to complete a double play. Manager Lee said, "He must have felt immense pressure, but he responded well to expectations. I also want to praise Ha Joo-seok's excellent defensive play."

After surviving the major crisis, captain Na Sung-beom immediately responded. In the bottom of the eighth with no outs and a runner on first, Na pulled KT's Jeon Yong-ju's inside fastball over the right-field wall for a two-run home run. It was a single swing that completed all his season home runs against the club. Manager Lee welcomed it, saying, "Na Sung-beom also contributed to the winning streak with a clutch two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth."

In the ninth inning, Jeon Sang-hyun retired the side in order to end the game, adding his first save since August 5 last year against Busan Lotte after 396 days. Kim Do-young, who had drawn high expectations, went hitless in three at-bats with one walk, pushing his 40th home run of the season to the next game. Notably, in the bottom of the fifth with one out and a runner on third, he fouled off the first pitch, resulting in a catcher's sacrifice fly and leaving some regret.

All these scenes were witnessed by a full house of 25,000 spectators. This marked the 31st sellout of the season, surpassing the club's previous record of 30 sellouts in a single season set in 2024 and establishing a new franchise record.

Manager Lee said, "It feels even more meaningful to win on a day when we set the record for the most sellouts since the opening of Champions Field. I sincerely thank the fans for their support. We will do our best tomorrow as well."

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*This content was translated by AI.