'Park Chan-ho's nephew' Kim Yoon-ha (Kiwoom Heroes) failed to achieve his first win in his 10th challenge. After sailing smoothly with just 1 run until the 5th inning, he collapsed under the firepower of the KT lineup in the top of the 6th inning.
The professional baseball KT Wiz achieved a come-from-behind victory over the Kiwoom Heroes with a score of 7-5 in the 7th match of the season held at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd.
KT successfully established its dominance in the three-game series, recovering to a .500 win percentage in two days. In contrast, Kiwoom, which has recently faced five consecutive losses and a seven-game losing streak at Gocheok Dome, now holds a record of 14 wins and 39 losses.
The first score was claimed by Kiwoom. In the bottom of the 4th inning, lead-off hitter Choi Joo-hwan started the momentum with a hit, followed by Ruben Cardenas hitting a two-run homer to left field after a seven-pitch battle against KT starter Oh Won-seok. This marked the 5th home run of the season, coming about three weeks after the game against the Lotte Giants on April 29.
KT immediately retaliated. In the top of the 5th inning, lead-off hitter Moon Sang-cheol hit a double toward the left-center, and Kwon Dong-jin created a scoring opportunity with a ground out, leading to Hwang Jae-kyun hitting an RBI double to narrow the gap.
Kiwoom did not sit idly by. In the bottom of the 5th inning, lead-off hitter Oh Sun-jin reached base on a walk, and Song Sung-moon hit a single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Lee Hyung-jong helped advance both runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Choi Joo-hwan hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The turning point was the top of the 6th inning when KT succeeded in a big inning. After lead-off hitter Jang Seong-woo walked, Mel Rojas Jr. reached on a fielder's choice, and Kang Baek-ho was caught in a foul fly to first base, but after two outs, they displayed an incredible focus. Kim Sang-su kept the flame alive with a single, allowing Moon Sang-cheol to hit a 2-RBI double that tied the game at 3-3. After Kwon Dong-jin walked on the 9th pitch and Hwang Jae-kyun hit an infield single, the bases were loaded, and Kim Min-hyuk delivered a 3-RBI double. Following that, Ahn Hyun-min hit a one-RBI clutch hit that extended the lead.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, Kiwoom, with lead-off hitter Kim Tae-jin as a pinch hitter and consecutive hits from Song Sung-moon, faced a 1-out opportunity with runners on second and third, and Choi Joo-hwan managed to score 1 run with a sacrifice fly to center. Later, in the bottom of the 9th inning, trailing by 4-7 against KT closer Park Young-hyun, lead-off hitters Oh Jun-seo and Kim Tae-jin each hit singles, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Choi Joo-hwan hit a one-RBI single to right. However, it was not enough to tie the game.
KT starter Oh Won-seok, with support from the lineup, pitched 5 innings, allowing 6 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, striking out 1, and giving up 3 runs, earning his 6th victory of the season (2 losses). Following him were Won Sang-hyun (1 inning no runs), Kim Min-soo (1 inning 1 run), Son Dong-hyun (1 inning no runs), and Park Young-hyun (1 inning 1 run), with Park Young-hyun recording his 16th save of the season.
In the lineup, Hwang Jae-kyun had 4 hits, Kang Baek-ho had 3 hits, Kim Min-hyuk had 3 RBIs, and Ahn Hyun-min and Moon Sang-cheol contributed with multi-hit performances to lead the comeback victory.
In contrast, Kiwoom's starter, the Korean legend Park Chan-ho's nephew Kim Yoon-ha, faced difficulties, pitching 5⅔ innings allowing 8 hits, 3 walks, striking out 1, and giving up 5 runs, resulting in his 9th loss of the season (no wins). His 10th attempt to achieve his first win also ended in disappointment. The performances of Song Sung-moon with 4 hits and Choi Joo-hwan with 2 hits and 3 RBIs were overshadowed.
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