"My leg was shaking, but... it felt good." Full-speed sprint despite a 146 km/h pitch hitting his knee! Samsung's Kim Ji-chan's fighting spirit: Why did he smile through the pain? [KS2 On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A fast pitch clocking in at 146 km/h struck him directly in the knee. The pain was so severe that he could not get up for a while. However, thanks to the fighting spirit of Kim Ji-chan (25), who ran until the very end, the Samsung Lions secured a precious win on the road in the Korea Series (KS).

In Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) against the KT Wiz held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 4th, Kim Ji-chan started as the leadoff hitter and center fielder, recording one hit in five at-bats, one run scored, and one strikeout to drive Samsung's 3-2 comeback victory.

After losing Game 1 on the previous day (the 3rd) with a score of 7-8, Samsung evened the series at one win and one loss before heading to Daegu. Kim Ji-chan's bat was quiet in the early stages of the game. He went hitless in four at-bats through the ninth inning, but instead saved his team with a defensive play in the bottom of the ninth.

The situation was as follows. With the teams tied 1-1 and one out and a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth, Han Seung-taek's batted ball landed ambiguously in front of center field. Had it been for a hit, it could have led to a walk-off run by runner Heo Kyung-min from second base. Here, Kim Ji-chan made a diving catch to secure the ball.

In fact, Kim Ji-chan felt regret about that defensive play as well. After the game, he reflected, "I started my movement wrong. I moved backward and then had to rush forward quickly, but at that moment, it felt like my body weighed more than 200 kg." He added, "It was a ball I could have caught easily. After catching it, I really felt relieved and let out a sigh of relief."

His presence also emerged as the game entered extra innings at the plate. Leading off the top of the 10th inning, Kim Ji-chan was hit squarely in the knee by a 146 km/h cutter from KT pitcher Sugimoto Kouki's first pitch. Stunned by the impact, Kim Ji-chan could not get up for a while.

However, Kim Ji-chan did not back down. He limped to second base on Kim Seong-yoon's sacrifice bunt, and when Lewin Diaz hit an RBI single to right field, he sprinted at full speed toward home again. It was Samsung's 2-1 go-ahead run, achieved despite being hit in the knee by a 146 km/h pitch.

Kim Ji-chan said, "At first, my leg was shaking. I wondered if I could run. As time passed, it got a little better." He explained, "It was uncomfortable when making certain movements, but there were no major issues when exerting force or running." He continued, "Because I had not reached base before that, as the leadoff hitter, I absolutely had to get on base. It hurt when I was hit, but it felt good. Fortunately, a run scored, so it was good."

There was another hurdle before securing the win. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Samsung found themselves in a bases-loaded jam due to a defensive error by Diaz, and Kim Hyun-soo drew a bases-loaded walk against Won Tae-in, tying the game at 2-2.

Kim Ji-chan stated, "Actually, after scoring (in the 10th inning), I thought we would win, but I realized how difficult it is to get a win. It felt like baseball is not over until it is over." He added, "Fortunately, we did not get run on for the lead. I felt that we needed to score quickly again."

He recorded his first hit with two outs in the top of the 11th inning. After hitting a single to left field, Kim Ji-chan raced to third base on Kim Seong-yoon's single to center field. Although no follow-up hits came and he did not score, he continued aggressive baserunning despite the knee pain.

The game was ultimately decided in the top of the 12th inning. With one out and runners on first and second, KT second baseman Oh Yoon-seok made a throwing error while fielding Lee Jae-hyun's grounder, allowing runner Diaz from second base to score the winning run. Samsung clinched the victory as Bae Chan-seung retired the side in order in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Kim Ji-chan emphasized, "Even if it went past midnight and into the next day, I absolutely wanted to win. That is how desperate we were." He continued, "Yesterday was a game where you could think positively, but since we lost anyway, I forgot about it and approached today's game. I thought this was a game we absolutely had to win. If we had lost again here, we would have been in an even worse position." He smiled and added, "It is fortunate that we won. Of course, I want to finish it in Daegu. Whether here (Suwon) or anywhere else, I hope we become the champions."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original