With '10 thousand won home fans + 1st place' confirmed, they did it again. Filling the stadium once more and sprinting to an 8-game winning streak! Manager Lee Kang-cheol bowed his head in gratitude again: "Thank you to our passionate fans" [Suwon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Even after securing the regular season title, the Wizards did not stop their momentum. Lee Kang-cheol (60), manager of the KT Wiz, celebrated Choi Won-jun (29), who set a new KBO League single-season record for most hits, and also expressed his gratitude to the fans who filled the stadium for the final home game.

On the 7th, KT defeated the Samsung Lions 9-3 in their regular season home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

After clinching their second regular season title in franchise history and first in five years against the Lotte Giants on the 5th, KT continued their upward trend, racing to an 8-game winning streak (including one draw). Their season record stands at 88 wins, 5 draws, and 49 losses. They are now just two wins away from reaching 90 wins in a single season for the fourth time in KBO League history, following the Hyundai Unicorns in 2000 (91 wins) and the Doosan Bears in 2016 and 2018 (93 wins each).

They secured victory on this day as well, built on a stable pitching staff. Starting pitcher So Hyoung-jun threw 87 pitches over five innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five batters without giving up any runs, shutting down the Samsung lineup to earn his ninth win of the season (three losses).

The bullpen stepped up during the biggest crisis. With KT leading 3-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Oh Won-seok (25) found himself in a bases-loaded, no-out jam. Kim Jung-un (22) took over the mound with one out and the bases loaded. Kim retired Lee Sung-gyu with a shortstop groundout and Lewin Diaz (30) with a first-pitch flyout to right field, extinguishing the threat in just five pitches.

After the game, Manager Lee stated, "So Hyoung-jun fulfilled his role as the starter and laid the foundation for victory. Kim Jung-un pitched well in a one-out, bases-loaded crisis and did not let the momentum shift."

The lineup also demonstrated focus at crucial moments. In the bottom of the second inning, Jo Dae-hyun (23) drove in two runs with a double to left-center field with two outs and runners on second and third bases, giving KT the early lead. Manager Lee noted, "Jo Dae-hyun took control of the game's atmosphere by hitting an early two-run hit. Later, Heo Kyung-min and Bae Jeong-dae combined for two additional runs."

And the star who heated up the final home game the most was Choi Won-jun. Choi recorded three hits in four at-bats, one walk, one run batted in, and one run scored, bringing his season hit total to 204. In the fifth inning, with his 202nd hit, he tied the single-season record for most hits set by Victor Reyes (32, Lotte) in 2024. He then broke the record with a 203rd hit, a single to left field, in the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, he added another hit with a run batted in, increasing his total to 204.

In the eighth inning, following Choi Won-jun's hit with a run batted in, Sam Hilliard (32) hit his 42nd grand slam home run of the season, completing a five-run big inning. Hilliard moved into sole second place in the home run category, surpassing Austin Dean (LG Twins), and is now chasing first-place Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) by just one home run. Additionally, Hilliard's four grand slams in a single season ties the record set by Park Jae-hong (Hyundai) in 1999, Kim Sang-hyun (KIA) in 2009, and Kang Min-ho (Lotte) in 2015.

Manager Lee said, "We were able to seize the momentum by creating a five-run big inning in the bottom of the eighth, featuring Choi Won-jun's run batted in and Hilliard's grand slam home run." He added, "Congratulations on Choi Won-jun achieving the KBO all-time single-season record for most hits."

The meaningful record was set before a sold-out crowd. KT, which had already broken its franchise record by surpassing 10 thousand won home fans for the season, filled all 18,700 seats at this final home game. It was the 29th sellout of the season, bringing their total home attendance to 1,022,972. Manager Lee conveyed his sincerity, saying, "The players worked hard. I am grateful to the fans who filled the stadium for a sold-out crowd at our final regular season home game and cheered passionately."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original