KT's "Bargain FA" Finally Writes New KBO History! Choi Won-jun Sets Single-Season Record with 204 Hits + Hilliard Bases-Loaded Home Run... KT Defeats Samsung, Extends Winning Streak to 8 [Suwon On-Site Review]

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KT Wiz's "Bargain FA" Choi Won-jun (29) drove in three hits to write a new chapter in KBO League single-season hit history. The already-locked-in regular season leader, KT Wiz, capped off their "pre-Korean Series (KS)" with a decisive victory.

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

Having already secured first place in the regular season, KT is on an 8-game winning streak (including one draw) and has collected their 88th win of the season. In doing so, they are just two wins away from reaching 90 wins in a single season for the fourth time in KBO history. The only teams to have reached 90 wins in a single season previously were the Doosan Bears with 93 wins in both 2016 and 2018, and the Hyundai Unicorns with 91 wins in 2000.

KT, which recently drew its first-ever 10 thousand won home fans and became the eighth team in KBO history to do so, sold out all 18,700 seats for their final home game. This marked their 29th sellout of the season, bringing KT's total home attendance for the 2026 season to 1,022,972.

Before a full house, KT celebrated a double joy. Leadoff hitter Choi Won-jun recorded three hits in four at-bats and one walk, reaching 204 hits for the season and setting a new KBO single-season hit record. The previous record was 202 hits set by Reyes in 2024. Seo Geon-chang (37, then with the Nexen Heroes) first opened the era of 200 hits by recording 201 in 2014, which Reyes surpassed with 202 two years ago. This time, Choi Won-jun broke through that barrier as well.

In other performances, Heo Gyeong-min recorded three hits in four at-bats with one RBI and two runs scored, Kwon Dong-jin had two hits in four at-bats with two runs scored, and Sam Hilliard swung the bat fiercely with one hit (one home run) in two at-bats, including a bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the 8th inning, four RBIs, three walks, and two runs scored. With his 42nd home run of the season, Hilliard moved up to sole second place in the home run category, passing Austin Dean (LG Twins), and is now chasing first-place Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) by just one home run. Additionally, Hilliard's four bases-loaded home runs 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.

Samsung's Won Tae-in pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out three, and gave up two runs, suffering his ninth loss of the season (seven wins). Kim Heon-gon and Kim Seong-yoon recorded multi-hits, while Lewin Diaz struggled with one hit in four at-bats and three RBIs.

Starting pitcher So Hyoung-jun also secured his ninth win of the season (three losses) by pitching five innings (87 pitches), allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five. In the bullpen, Kim Jung-woon took the mound in the top of the 7th inning with one out and bases loaded, erasing the inning with five pitches, and kept the game scoreless for 1⅔ innings to preserve the victory.

The turning point came in the top of the 7th inning when KT led 3-0. Against Oh Won-seok, Jeon Byung-woo drew a walk, Kim Do-hwan hit a single to left field, and pinch hitter Kim Heon-gon hit a single to right field, creating a bases-loaded opportunity with no outs. However, Oh Won-seok recorded a flyout to center field against Kim Seong-yoon, and relief pitcher Kim Jung-woon struck out Lee Sung-gyu with a groundout to shortstop and Lewin Diaz with a flyout to right field on the first pitch, ending the inning without allowing any runs.

On this day, KT lined up its batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (designated hitter) - Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder) - Ahn Hyeon-min (right fielder) - Sam Hilliard (center fielder) - Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman) - Ryu Hyun-in (second baseman) - Heo Gyeong-min (third baseman) - Jo Dae-hyun (catcher) - Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). The starting pitcher was So Hyoung-jun.

In response, Samsung arranged its batting order as follows: Kim Hyun-jun (center fielder) - Kim Seong-yoon (right fielder) - Park Seung-gyu (left fielder) - Lewin Diaz (first baseman) - Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter) - Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman) - Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop) - Kim Young-woong (third baseman) - Kim Do-hwan (catcher). The starting pitcher was Won Tae-in.

The first run belonged to the home team, KT. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with two outs and all runners off base due to Kim Hyun-soo's double play, Ryu Hyun-in reached on an infield hit. From there, Heo Gyeong-min hit a large double down the right field line, instantly creating a scoring position with runners on second and third bases. Jo Dae-hyun hit a two-RBI double slicing through the gap in left-center field, giving KT the lead.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, when Won Tae-in was pulled from the mound, KT added another run. Against the new pitcher Baek Jeong-hyun, Hilliard and Kim Hyun-soo reached on consecutive walks. On Ryu Hyun-in's ground ball, runners were on first and third bases, and the pitcher was replaced by Lee Seung-hyun again. However, Heo Gyeong-min crushed Lee Seung-hyun's second pitch fastball for a single to center field with one RBI, extending KT's lead to 3-0.

After surviving the bases-loaded threat in the top of the 7th inning, KT soon faced new history. In the bottom of the 7th inning, leadoff hitter Kwon Dong-jin reached on a single to right field after fending off six pitches. Following him, Choi Won-jun also produced consecutive foul balls even with a favorable 3B0S count, but ultimately hit a single to left field. This was Choi Won-jun's 203rd hit of the season and the moment when the KBO League single-season hit record was rewritten.

Bae Jeong-dae hit a one-RBI double down the left field line against the new pitcher Kim Tae-hoon, creating a 4-0 lead for KT. Choi Won-jun's hitting streak did not end there. In the bottom of the 8th inning, against the new pitcher Yang Hyun, Heo Gyeong-min hit a single to right-center and Kwon Dong-jin hit a double to left-center, putting runners on second and third bases with one out.

It was Choi Won-jun's turn at bat again, and Samsung's mound changed to Hong Won-pyo. The Samsung battery continued to throw sliders to the outside, but Choi Won-jun lightly pushed a slider flowing away in the 3B1S count, connecting it for a single to left-center field. This was Choi Won-jun's 204th hit and an RBI that created a 5-0 lead for KT.

Following this, Bae Jeong-dae drew a walk to load all the bases, and Hilliard crushed the fourth pitch, a four-seam fastball, over the center field fence to nail down the victory. It was Hilliard's fourth bases-loaded home run of the season and his 42nd home run. The distance was 137 meters.

Samsung chased late in the top of the 9th inning against Moon Yong-ik, with Diaz hitting a three-RBI double to right-center field from a bases-loaded situation with one out. However, it was not enough to overturn the score difference.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original