"I was so sorry to (Woo) Gyu-min" The KBO defensive champion who collapsed at third base scored three RBIs in a single day... How did he overcome it? [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

One day after contributing to a heavy scoring collapse, KT veteran infielder Heo Kyung-min (36) lifted his heavy burden with his bat.

On the 19th, Heo started at third base and batted seventh in the home game against Doosan Bears at Suwon KT Wiz Park during the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League. He went 1-for-2 with two walks, three RBIs, and three runs scored, helping KT secure a decisive 15-3 victory.

Just one day earlier, the situation was completely reversed. On the 18th at the same venue, KT suffered a crushing 1-12 defeat to LG Twins, ending their seven-game winning streak. In particular, in the top of the fifth inning, Heo Kyung-min, who had won the KBO defensive championship for two consecutive years, committed rare defensive miscues one after another.

With LG leading 3-0 and no outs with runners on first and third in the top of the fifth, veteran Woo Gyu-min (41) entered to extinguish the threat. Woo induced a weak grounder from Song Chan-ui, and third baseman Park Hae-min was caught in a rundown. However, Heo failed to tag out Park Hae-min in one motion, and his throw to Woo, who had moved in to cover home plate, went astray, resulting in a run.

The mistakes continued. Heo also mishandled an ordinary grounder from Moon Jung-bin, and Koo Bon-hyuk's quick double sailed past Heo, completely shifting momentum to LG. Ultimately, KT could not recover from these runs and collapsed by an 11-run margin.

After leading KT to victory on the 19th, Heo said, "Yesterday (the 18th), many strange things happened at third base, and I felt very sorry to (Woo) Gyu-min. The team's defeat weighed heavily on my heart."

However, he could not dwell on the previous day's scenes. Heo stated, "In baseball, there have been more difficult moments than this, and I believe there will be many more challenges ahead. I tried hard to avoid letting it affect today's (19th) game."

The turnaround was certain. In the bottom of the sixth inning, when KT began to break the 3-3 tie, Kim Hyun-soo's RBI single gave them a 4-3 lead. After Kim Sang-su reached base on a hit-by-pitch, Heo delivered a two-run RBI double against Park Chi-guk, pushing KT ahead 6-3 in a decisive blow.

In the bottom of the seventh, with no outs and bases loaded, he calmly drew a bases-loaded walk. After Heo added another run, Kwon Dong-jin's consecutive doubles and Choi Won-jun's RBI single followed. KT scored five runs each in the sixth and seventh innings, completely sealing the game.

Heo said, "Today marked a fresh start. Although we fell behind early, I stayed focused and feel good about it. I had many doubts at the plate, but my teammates believed in me and supported me, leading to these positive results." He credited his teammates for the outcome.

That trust was not just Heo's story alone. Choi Won-jun, who recorded four hits and four RBIs today, reflected on the previous day's loss by saying, "Everyone makes mistakes." He added, "Rather than blaming anyone, since we are a team, we can cover for each other. Even if someone makes an error, another player can step in—that is what a team is about."

Indeed, that was the case. The players did not blame the veteran who endured the toughest night yesterday. Instead, one day later, Heo took responsibility for three RBIs when his opportunity returned. After the game, KT manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) praised the team: "Veteran Kim Hyun-soo's go-ahead RBI, along with additional RBIs from Heo Kyung-min and Choi Won-jun, created a big inning that allowed us to solidify our lead."

Thanks to everyone uniting to overcome the shocking loss from the previous day, KT maintained sole first place with 77 wins, 4 draws, and 47 losses, holding a 2.5-game lead over second-place Samsung Lions (76 wins, 3 draws, 51 losses). Heo said, "The entire team knows how important one win is. We have many talented players on our squad, giving us the strength to quickly escape any losing streak. We will continue preparing well to finish the season at a high standing."

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*This content was translated by AI.