“It’s not just KIA’s bullpen problem” — KT’s incredible late-game resilience in back-to-back comebacks leaves no KBO closer feeling safe

*This content was translated by AI.

When facing the leading KT Wiz, you cannot feel at ease until the final out is recorded. The tenacious late-game resilience they displayed for two consecutive days in Gwangju proved why.

KT won both games of their two-game away series against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on September 29 and 30, securing comeback victories in each. On the 29th, they won 8-5 after a hard-fought extra-inning battle that went to the 10th inning. The following day, they won 3-2, powered by Kwon Dong-jin’s game-winning solo home run in the ninth inning.

With their third consecutive win, KT reached their 82nd victory of the season on September 29, setting a new single-season franchise record for most wins, and then extended that record just one day later. They also maintained their lead with a record of 83 wins, 4 draws, and 49 losses, reducing their regular season championship magic number to “6.”

The common thread in both games was clear. Even when hit early, they did not crumble easily, and after allowing runs, they were not dragged down for long. That was the case on the 29th. KIA’s Kim Do-young took an early lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but KT immediately reversed the score to 4-2 with Kim Hyun-soo’s bases-loaded home run in the very next inning.

KIA struck back. In the bottom of the third inning, Harold Castro’s two-run home run to center field and Na Sung-bum’s solo home run to right field came in succession, putting KIA ahead 5-4 again. However, KT did not allow KIA any further runs after the third inning. While Oh Won-seok, Son Dong-hyun, and Kim Jung-un took turns guarding the pitcher's mound, the lineup had time to turn the tide. Ultimately, with two outs and bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning, Kim Sang-soo drew a walk, tying the game at 5-5.

Gaining momentum, KT ended the game instantly in the top of the 10th inning. With runners on second and third base and no outs, set up by Choi Won-jun’s single and Kim Hyun-soo’s double, An Hyun-min hit a two-run triple that struck the center field fence directly. Sam Hilliard’s sacrifice fly followed, making it 8-5. They did not let go of the momentum they had seized.

The next day was similar. KT failed to score a single run through five innings on the 30th. In fact, they fell behind 0-2 after Kim Do-young hit a two-base hit to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning, followed by allowing Castro to hit a two-run home run. But once again, they responded immediately. With one out and a runner on first in the top of the seventh inning, Hilliard hit his 40th two-run home run of the season over the center field fence. The lead KIA had struggled to hold vanished before even a single inning passed.

The hero of the game-winning hit was even harder to predict. Leading off the top of the ninth inning in a 2-2 tie, Kwon Dong-jin hit a solo home run to center field against Jeon Sang-hyun. The infielder, who had a batting average of 0.261 and only two home runs this season, launched his third home run of the season at the most critical moment. Thus, KT completed their 40th comeback victory of the season.

This is precisely what makes KT so formidable. On the 29th, veteran Kim Hyun-soo hit a bases-loaded home run, and An Hyun-min decided the game in extra innings. On the 30th, Hilliard, who reached 40 home runs, tied the game, while Kwon Dong-jin, relatively distant from power hitting, delivered the winning home run.

This year, stopping just one or two specific players is not enough to shut down KT’s lineup. That makes them even harder to predict. When someone goes quiet, another player appears at the decisive moment. Even if the opponent takes a lead, if KT maintains a one- or two-run gap until the late innings, the pressure naturally shifts to the opposing pitcher's mound. This is why it is not just KIA’s bullpen that poses a problem.

Another reason KT can come back so tenaciously is that they have a reliable card to take responsibility after a comeback: Park Young-hyun. After winning a gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and returning to Korea on the 28th of last month, Park immediately headed down to Gwangju. He then pitched in consecutive games on the 29th and 30th, recording one win and one save while allowing no runs over 2⅓ innings.

Of course, KIA failed to hold onto a late-game lead for two days in a row. However, it is insufficient to explain KT’s winning streak solely by the instability of the opposing bullpen. Even when falling behind early, they catch up immediately; once they catch up, they apply pressure until the end; and when stars are shut down, unexpected players deliver. And the hard-earned lead is guarded by national team closer Park Young-hyun.

For this reason, no team or closer in this year’s KBO League can easily feel at ease. The reason KT sits at the top is not simply because they have won many games, but because of their power to rarely give up on games that seem like losses and ultimately turn them into victories.

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*This content was translated by AI.