"I have never thought I couldn't hit the ball": Backup delivers lead-off homer, pinch hitter adds chase-down shot! What KT needs on the brink is a big hit [KS5 On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"I always play because of defensive strengthening, but I have never once thought that I couldn't hit the bat."

The confidence of a backup outfielder who had rarely gotten opportunities was no exaggeration. KT Wiz's Jang Jin-hyuk (33) hit a lead-off home run in his first Korean Series (KS) start. Additionally, Kim Min-hyuk (30) contributed with a pinch-hit home run. Although it did not lead to a victory, the bats of these two outfielders are a source of hope for KT, which is cornered with a record of 1 win and 3 losses.

KT will play Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) against the Samsung Lions at 2 p.m. on the 8th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. After winning Game 1 with an 8-7 score, they have lost three consecutive games, leaving them with no room to retreat. If they lose today, their challenge for a unified championship for the first time in five years since 2021 will also end.

Above all, the bats need to come alive. KT, which ranked first in team batting average, runs scored, and on-base percentage during the regular season, scored 8 points through the sixth inning of Game 1 of the Korea Series but then fell into a sudden silence. In Game 2, they managed only 2 points through 12 extra innings, and in Game 3, they were limited to 1 point. In Game 4, they scored 5 points but had only 4 hits. Starting pitcher Logan Allen collapsed with 6 runs allowed from the first inning, making the limits of their chase clear.

Jang Jin-hyuk was one of the few players who brought hope in a disappointing game. Jang played in 70 games this season but appeared at bat only 67 times. He recorded a batting average of 0.286, 3 home runs, and 10 RBIs, but did not secure consistent starting opportunities. He remained in limited roles such as pinch hitter and defensive substitute.

It was the same in the Korea Series. However, he delivered a hit every time he came out. In Game 1, he appeared only as a defensive substitute, and in Game 2, he entered as a replacement and recorded a hit. In Game 3, he stepped up as a pinch hitter and hit a double.

As a result, KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) suddenly deployed Jang Jin-hyuk as the number two hitter and left fielder in Game 4. The manager said, "Jang's hitting timing and feel are good, so I put him in as a starter," expressing expectations. The result came from his first at-bat. In the top of the first inning with one out, Jang hit a 144 km/h fastball from Samsung rookie Jang Chan-hee, sending it over the right field fence for a lead-off solo home run.

It was the result of constant effort. Ahead of Game 4, Jang reflected, "The changes I tried in the early part were not good, so I had some doubts. But I regained my form in the minor league and came back up, and after that, it seemed to have been consistently not bad."

Regarding the struggling team offense, he candidly revealed his thoughts, saying, "The players feel a sense of responsibility and pressure. I think it is a psychological issue," while emphasizing, "Because we are the number one team in the regular season, if we get into a good flow, we can definitely play well. Flow does not change just because you try to change it. If we solve things one by one, we will be able to get back into a good flow."

Another source of hope is Kim Min-hyuk. Kim has managed only a batting average of 0.231 (3 hits in 13 at-bats) in the four Korea Series games. However, the content of his three hits was different. In Game 1, he hit a double that created an opportunity leading to Ahn Hyun-min's two-run home run, and in Game 3, he reached base with a double in the top of the first inning and scored the first run on Hilliard's RBI hit.

In Game 4, he was excluded from the starting lineup due to discomfort in his hip area but appeared as a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth inning, hitting a solo home run to right field off Kim Tae-hoon. All three hits recorded by Kim Min-hyuk in this Korea Series were extra-base hits. Of course, it is difficult to revive the stagnant offense with just these two players. In particular, the opposing starting pitcher for Game 5, Won Tae-in (26), is no pushover. He recorded a 1 win and 3 losses record with an ERA of 3.25 in five regular season games against KT this year, and was strong against Kim Min-hyuk with a batting average against of 0.091.

However, there are also plenty of KT batters who have performed well against Won Tae-in. Sam Hilliard (32) has hit 5 times in 13 at-bats (batting average 0.385) against Won Tae-in, and Kim Sang-soo (36) also showed good form with 4 hits in 12 at-bats (0.333). If the power-hitting sense of Jang Jin-hyuk and Kim Min-hyuk is combined with the performance of the middle of the lineup that was strong against Won Tae-in, they can take the initiative.

KT will field Daniel Davis (29), the winning pitcher of Game 1, as the starter for Game 5. While Davis shuts down the Samsung lineup, Jang Jin-hyuk and Kim Min-hyuk must contribute their strength once again. For the final counterattack by the number one regular season team, a big hit is desperately needed from any position in the batting order.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original