8-0 to 8-7: On the brink of a 'catastrophe,' Park Young-hyun saved it with 5 outs! KT, shaking off Samsung's fierce pursuit for a sweat-drenched win in Game 1 of the KS... Championship odds at 73.8% [KS1 On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

It was a sweat-drenched contest where victory could not be guaranteed even with an eight-run lead. The KT Wiz barely shook off the Samsung Lions' fierce pursuit to take Game 1 of the Korea Series (KS).

On the 3rd, at Suwon KT Wiz Park, the KT Wiz defeated the Samsung Lions 8-7 in Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Postseason Korea Series (best-of-seven series).

With this, the KT Wiz secured a 73.8% probability of winning the Korea Series championship. In the history of the 42nd Korea Series held to date, the team that won Game 1 went on to win the championship in a total of 31 instances. The KT Wiz, challenging for their first combined championship (winning both the regular season and postseason titles) in five years since 2021, secured the crucial opening game.

The turning point was the top of the 8th inning, when the KT Wiz led 8-5. After allowing five runs in just the top of the 7th inning, which instantly narrowed their eight-run lead to three, the KT Wiz faced another crisis in the 8th. As leadoff batter Park Seung-gyu drew a walk, the mound was switched from Kim Jung-woon to Oh Won-seok. However, following Koo Ja-wook's infield hit to right, Kim Sung-yoon delivered an RBI single to center field with one out and runners on first and second, allowing Samsung to close the gap to 6-8. With Kim Young-woong drawing a walk to load the bases with one out, KT closer Park Young-hyun ultimately made an early appearance.

Park Young-hyun got Ryu Ji-hyuk out on a fly ball to left field, taking a breath of relief. However, he threw a wild pitch in Kim Hyeon-jun's at-bat, allowing runner Koo Ja-wook from third base to score. The score became 7-8, narrowing the gap to just one run. Kim Hyeon-jun also hit a large ball that headed toward the left field fence, but it was caught by the left fielder, narrowly preventing a comeback.

Park Young-hyun, who took the mound again in the 9th inning,

In the starting pitching duel, the KT Wiz clearly had the upper hand. KT starter Daniel Davis pitched six innings, allowing five hits (one home run), no walks, striking out seven, and giving up three runs to earn the win. On the other hand, Samsung starter Choi Won-tae collapsed, taking the loss with two innings pitched, five hits allowed (one home run), one walk, three strikeouts, and five runs allowed.

In the KT Wiz lineup, Sam Hilliard contributed a game-winning hit along with three hits in four at-bats, two RBIs, one walk, and two runs scored. Ahn Hyun-min performed well with one hit (one home run) in three at-bats, two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Han Seung-taek also recorded one hit (one home run) in four at-bats, one RBI, and one run scored. Kim Hyeon-su, the MVP of last year's Korea Series, posted two hits (one home run) in four at-bats, two RBIs, one walk, and one run scored. Notably, he achieved 150 career postseason runs batted in, surpassing Hong Seong-heun (149 RBI) to set a new all-time record for the most runs batted in during the postseason. However, he was replaced by Oh Yun-seok after feeling pain in his left finger while sliding during defense in the 7th inning. It is reported that the injury does not require a hospital examination.

In the Samsung Lions lineup, captain Koo Ja-wook had two hits (one home run) in four at-bats, two RBIs, and two walks. Pinch hitter Kim Sung-yoon went 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored. Kim Young-woong went 2-for-3 with one walk, and Lee Jae-hyun went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, but their efforts did not lead to a team victory.

Meanwhile, Suwon KT Wiz Park, which hosted its first Korea Series Game 1 in franchise history on this day, was filled with a sold-out crowd of 17,700 spectators. This marked the 10th consecutive sellout game in this year's postseason, pushing cumulative attendance past 211,250. Additionally, it achieved its 22nd consecutive soldout Korea Series game since Game 1 of the 2022 Korea Series, as well as its 47th consecutive soldout postseason game since Game 1 of the 2023 Korea Series.

On this day, the KT Wiz lined up their batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Ahn Hyun-min (designated hitter), Sam Hilliard (center fielder), Kim Hyeon-su (first baseman), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Jang Jun-won (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Daniel Davis.

In response, the Samsung Lions arranged their batting order as follows: Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Park Seung-gyu (right fielder), Koo Ja-wook (designated hitter), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Choi Hyeong-woo (left fielder), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), and Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Choi Won-tae.

The KT Wiz, who had not played a live game for three weeks, showed no issues with game feel. In the bottom of the 1st inning, leadoff batter Choi Won-jun reached base on an infield hit to center, stole second base, and advanced to third on an opposing wild pitch. With one out and runners on first and third created by Ahn Hyun-min's walk, Hilliard smashed a two-RBI double that struck the left-center field fence directly. Adding Kim Sang-soo's infield hit, the KT Wiz took a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, leadoff batter Kim Min-hyuk reached base on a double that struck the top of the right-center field fence. Ahn Hyun-min attacked Choi Won-tae's second pitch, a 132 km/h changeup, and launched a two-run home run to left field. The ball traveled 105.1 meters, marking his first career postseason home run and the first home run of this Korea Series.

With two outs in the bottom of the 5th inning, Han Seung-taek attacked Jang Chan-hee's first pitch, a 138 km/h cutter, and hit a solo home run to left field. It was Han Seung-taek's first hit and first home run in the postseason. In the bottom of the 6th inning, following Hilliard's infield hit with two outs, Kim Hyeon-su hit a two-run home run over right field against Im Ki-young, extending the lead to 8-0.

On the mound as well, Davis held the Samsung Lions lineup scoreless with three hits through six innings. He recorded consecutive groundouts against 13 batters starting from the second out of the 2nd inning and fanned seven.

However, the atmosphere changed drastically from the top of the 7th inning. Following leadoff batter Park Seung-gyu's infield hit to left, Koo Ja-wook hit a two-run home run over left-center field off Davis's changeup. After Diaz's infield hit to right, the KT Wiz brought in Logan Allen, but the bases-loaded crisis continued with Kim Sung-yoon's infield hit to right and Kim Young-woong's infield hit.

The KT Wiz allowed another run on Ryu Ji-hyuk's groundout to second base and then brought in Son Dong-hyun followed by Kim Jung-woon. However, with two outs and runners on second and third, they allowed Lee Jae-hyun a two-RBI hit that struck the left field fence directly, instantly falling behind 5-8. Kim Jung-woon retired Kim Do-hwan with a three-pitch changeup strikeout, ending the lengthy top of the 7th inning.

The KT Wiz allowed two more runs in the 8th inning and was chased to within one run at 8-7. However, Park Young-hyun, who took the mound again in the 9th inning, struck out Lee Jae-hyun, Jeon Byung-woo, and Park Seung-gyu consecutively on swings-and-misses, preserving the one-run lead until the end to secure the first victory of the Korea Series.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original