KT Wiz won a valuable victory.
KT, led by head coach Lee Kang-chul, won 8-7 in the 15th game of the season against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Suwon KT Wiz Park on Sunday. KT, which won for two consecutive games, posted 71 wins, two draws and 70 losses in the season. KT, which tied for fifth with SSG Landers before the game on the day, has become the lone fifth with a 0.5-game lead over sixth-ranked SSG.
Starting pitcher William Cuevas left the mound early with five hits (one homer) and two strikeouts and four runs in three ⅓ innings, but bullpen pitchers minimized the number of runs. Woo Kyu-min, who pitched one ⅓ inning in relief at the top of the 12th inning, harvested the relief victory.
In the batting lineup, Jang Sung-woo drove in four RBIs alone, including one home run. Kang Baek-ho wowed fans with a tying solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning. In addition, leadoff Kim Min-hyuk performed the role given by going 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs, and Mel Rojas Jr. performed the role given by going 3 for 5 with one run.
KT took the lead with Jang’s first three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, and widened the gap with Jang’s RBI double and Shim Woo-joon’s RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. However, Kim Hye-sung’s timely RBI single and Choi Joo-hwan’s three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning pushed the team to 5-4 and had to watch third baseman Kim Tae-jin score when Lee Ju-hyung grounded out to shortstop with no outs in the top of the fifth inning.
KT’s crisis was not over. KT allowed Kiwoom to come from behind with Kim Hye-sung’s RBI single in the top of the eighth inning, and Jang Jae-young’s RBI single in the top of the eighth inning widened the gap by two runs.
However, KT chased after Kim Min-hyuk with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Kang Baek-ho, who appeared as a leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning, balanced 7-7 with a superior solo shot, leading the game to extra time.
KT showed its will to win by ending the inning without losing a run for three extra innings from the top of the 10th inning. After the strikeout of leadoff hitter Kim Sang-soo in the bottom of the 12th inning, Jung Joon-young and Rojas got on base with a hit and a ball, respectively, and Jang Sung-woo brought home Chun Sung-ho, the third baseman, with a sacrifice fly to right field, to end the game.
After the game, manager Lee Kang-chul said, “The players were able to win by showing their concentration without giving up until the end,” adding, “The middle pitchers pitched really well, setting the stage for victory.” 스포츠토토
He added, “In the batting line, Kim Min-hyuk’s RBI and Kang Baek-ho’s home run brought the atmosphere after allowing the turnaround, and Jang Sung-woo’s walk-off sacrifice fly, who scored five RBIs at the end and played a great role in offense and defense, decided the game.”
Now, KT has only one final game left before its home game against Kiwoom on Sunday. “Players, great job, and thank you to your fans for supporting us late at night,” Lee said, vowing to win the final game.
Meanwhile, KT plans to have Wes Benjamin as the starting pitcher for its third consecutive win and fifth place. Kiwoom’s starting pitcher is Cho Young-gun.
