"You solve it."
That was the manager and the catcher. Kia Tigers catcher Kim Tae-Gun staged a miraculous comeback. In a 2025 Korean professional baseball game against the Lotte Giants held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 4th, he hit a two-run go-ahead single that led to a 7-5 victory. With this win, Kia closed in on the second-place LG Twins and Lotte Giants by half a game.
The flow was not good. Thanks to James Nail's strong performance, they led 2-0 until the sixth inning. Kia brought in Jeong Hoon in the seventh inning to activate their winning team. However, he allowed a game-tying double to Jung Hoon, resulting in a blown save. At least, with one out and two on base, Seong Yeong-Tak prevented additional runs, and they entered the eighth inning tied 2-2. This time, Jo Sang-Woo gave up three runs.
Since the solid winning team collapsed, it was almost like giving away the momentum. However, the batters stepped up. In the eighth inning, with two outs and one on base, Patrick Wisdom hit a two-run home run that shifted the atmosphere. Choi Hyung-Woo and Oh Seon-Woo reached base with hits, leading to Choi Won-Jun's game-tying hit. Moreover, Kim Ho-ryeong took a walk to load the bases and handed it over to Kim Tae-Gun.
Kim Tae-Gun pulled a five-pitch slider from Lotte's Choi Jun-Yong smoothly, creating a hit that went through the 3rd baseman. Two runners scored to turn the game around to 7-5, making him the hero of the decisive hit. Earlier, in the bottom of the third inning, Kim Ho-ryeong hit a triple and brought in a run with a timely hit to left field, showcasing his good hitting form. In the seventh inning, he also had a double that was caught by the third baseman.
The manager had timing for a pinch hitter, but he pushed Kim Tae-Gun forward. This was because of his good performance in the previous at-bat, and it paid off. After the game, he noted, "I was worried a lot because the opposing pitcher and I were not in sync originally. I thought a breaking ball would come from the first pitch. At the same time, I suspected a fastball could come, which I think is why the ball hit the bat. The manager told me, 'You solve it.' I think he gave me the opportunity to create a good situation."
He continued, "There was an impact from getting a hit in my first at-bat. I thought a left-handed hit would come, and I wondered if today would not go well. At the moment of contact, I was convinced it would work. It was thrilling because I could see the path. We turned around from 2-5, but in today's baseball, you never know what might happen with a three-run gap. In the eighth, (Im) Gi-Young's prevention of Jung Hoon, who hits well against underpitchers, was able to bring back the momentum," explaining the key to the comeback.
Finally, he conveyed the atmosphere of one team. "Sang-Hyun and Sang-Woo showed such good performances. They played a key role in the seventh and eighth innings. It's unfortunate to have allowed runs today, but the other pitchers kept the scores down, and the fielders stepped up. It's nice to see young players playing their baseball with pure heart. I think good results come because they just do it as it is," he smiled.
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