"Is this really the No. 1 team?" After setting a new record with 12 walks and hit batsmen, errors followed on the next day! KT's shocking 8-run collapse in one inning... Countdown to handing over their first championship in 12 years [KS5 On-Site]

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The day before (the 7th), walks were the problem. A day later, defense collapsed. It was difficult to find any trace of a No. 1 team that had won 90 games in the regular season. KT Wiz suffered a disaster, surrendering a staggering 8 runs in a single inning during their final chance at winning the Korean Series (KS). Conversely, Samsung Lions entered the countdown to a miraculous upset championship.

In Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Korean Series (best-of-seven), held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th, KT allowed 8 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning alone and was trailing Samsung 1-11 as of the top of the eighth inning.

Just one day earlier, KT had also written a humiliating record. In Game 4, held on the 7th, KT's pitching staff issued 12 walks and hit batsmen (9 walks, 3 hit batsmen). This was a new record for the most team walks and hit batsmen allowed in a single Korean Series game in history. The combined total of 19 walks and hit batsmen by Samsung and KT also set a new record for the highest combined total in a single Korean Series game.

At the time, KT starting pitcher Logan Allen (29) collapsed with 5 hits allowed, 4 walks and hit batsmen, and 6 runs allowed in one inning. With the starter falling early and the bullpen struggling with control issues, KT lost 5-10.

However, an even more serious scene unfolded in Game 5. KT made major changes to their lineup while on the brink of elimination. KT constructed its batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (designated hitter) - Jang Jin-hyuk (right fielder) - Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman) - Sam Hilliard (center fielder) - Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder) - Ryu Hyeon-in (second baseman) - Heo Kyung-min (third baseman) - Han Seung-taek (catcher) - Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop).

The start was not bad. In the top of the third inning, KT created a runner-on-second-and-third opportunity with one out thanks to an RBI single by Han Seung-taek, a left-field single by Kwon Dong-jin, and a sacrifice bunt by Choi Won-jun. Jang Jin-hyuk scored the first run with a sacrifice fly to center field. However, in the bottom of the third inning, starting pitcher Daniel Davis (29) wavered. Starting with a walk to Kim Ji-chan, consecutive RBI doubles by Koo Ja-wook and Lewin Diaz, and an RBI single to center field by Kim Young-woong quickly turned the game around, putting KT behind 1-3.

KT threw in Go Yeong-pyo (35) early as a gamble. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, defense was the problem rather than the mound. It began with a routine grounder from leadoff batter Park Seung-gyu. Shortstop Kwon Dong-jin charged forward to field the ball but failed to make the catch. It was a moment when KT allowed its most feared scenario: a leadoff runner reaching base.

A single to right field by Koo Ja-wook followed, and Diaz retired on an infield fly. However, Choi Hyeong-woo hit an RBI single to right field to make it 4-1. The nightmare continued. This time, second baseman Ryu Hyeon-in failed to field Kim Young-woong's batted ball. With the second defensive error, the score widened to 5-1. Samsung did not let go of the reins once seized. Kim Seong-yoon, who entered as a pinch runner for Choi Hyeong-woo, scored on an RBI double down the left-field line by Lee Jae-hyun.

With Ryu Ji-hyuk reaching base on an intentional walk, the bases were loaded again. When Kang Min-ho hit a grounder to second base, KT attempted to turn a double play. However, Ryu Hyeon-in's throw to second base did not go where it was intended. Once again, two runners scored home. Errors led to errors, and runs allowed led to more runs allowed. Following this, Kim Ji-chan smashed an RBI triple down the left-center gap worth 2 runs. Samsung scored a staggering 8 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning alone, pulling ahead 11-1.

It was one of the largest single-inning collapses in Korean Series history. The record for the most runs allowed in a single inning in Korean Series history is 12. In Game 4 of the Korean Series held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on October 25, 2001, Samsung allowed 12 runs to Doosan Bears in the bottom of the third inning alone. At the time, Samsung had scored 8 runs in the top of the second inning to take an 8-2 lead, but immediately allowed 12 runs and ultimately lost 11-18.

In Game 9 of the Korean Series on November 1, 2004, Samsung also allowed 8 runs to Hyundai Unicorns in the top of the second inning. It was a game where Hyundai won 8-7 to clinch the Korean Series championship. This time, KT, the No. 1 team in the regular season, added its name to that unsavory record. Allowing 8 runs in one inning ranks as a tie for second-most in history.

In this year's regular season, KT achieved its best performance since inception with a record of 90 wins, 5 draws, and 49 losses, and a winning percentage of .647. They finished first in the regular season for the first time in five years since 2021, advancing directly to the Korean Series.

However, their strengths disappeared on the most important stage. In Game 4, the pitching staff issued 12 walks and hit batsmen indiscriminately, and in Game 5, the infielders committed consecutive defensive errors. KT, which was backed into a corner with a record of 1 win and 3 losses, faces the crisis of having to watch their opponent defend a championship for the first time in 12 years on the opponent's home turf.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original