'Replacement of Baek Jung-hyun → 5 consecutive hits → 5 runs' Jang Sung-woo's 6 RBIs + starter Jeon Won-hit, KT, and Samsung's second place in the home turf
Sep 19, 2024
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The difference in desperation determined the outcome.
The second-place Samsung Lions want to reduce the magic number '2' as soon as possible. It's only a matter of timing, and the second place itself is not in jeopardy.
However, KT Wiz's position in fifth place is different. For KT, whose goal is to secure at least fourth place, each of the remaining six games is very important.
Home team KT was ahead in firepower and concentration.
KT Wiz won the final game of the season against the Samsung Lions 9-4 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 19th, confirming its dominant season with 8 wins, 1 draw and 7 losses.
KT's offense in the bottom of the fifth inning with a score of 4-4. With one out and a runner on the first base, Bae Jeong-hyun's fastball struck out. two outs and a runner on first base.
When Baek Jung-hyun, who took the mound as a bullpen pitcher, reached 40 pitches, pitching coach Jung Dae-hyun headed to the mound.
Replace with Kim Dae-woo. KT's batters did not miss the gap in this change. Oh Yoon-seok's left-handed hit followed by Shim Woo-joon's double to sweep the middle wall to take a 6-4 lead.
He was replaced by left-hander Lee Jae-ik at Rojas' at-bat. It failed to block the lit KT batting line. He scored three more runs on three consecutive hits.
Following Rojas' timely hit to the left to make it 7-3, and Kim Min-hyuk's hit to the right, both runners on the first and second bases, who started in advance when Jang Sung-woo made a timely hit to the right, homered. 9-4. It was the moment when the game flow passed to KT at once.
The seesaw game continued until the fourth inning.
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In the top of the second inning, Samsung succeeded in turning the tables 3-1 with Lee Jae-hyun's two-run timely hit and Koo Ja-wook's timely hit. When KT tied the game 3-3 with Jang Sung-woo's 17th two-run homer of the season in the bottom of the third inning, Samsung hit its seventh solo shot of the season in the top of the fourth inning by pulling a high fastball from Cuevas' body to cool over the right fence. 4-3.
However, KT balanced 4-4 once again with Jang Sung-woo's timely hit right away in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Jang Sung-woo became an important player in the game's come-from-behind victory by harvesting as many as six RBIs with three hits and one walk sacrifice fly, including a home run. Six RBIs in a game are the most RBIs in a single game in nine years since the match against Suwon Lotte on August 1, 2015.
Table setters Rojas and Kim Min-hyuk combined for five hits and four points, setting up a rich table for Jang Sung-woo along with No. 9 Shim Woo-joon (2 hits and 2 points). KT scored double-digit points by hitting all the starters with 17 hits.
The two teams, which have no games tomorrow, faced off in an all-out battle with seven pitchers each on the mound.
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Cho Hyung-joon's individual win came in 722 days since the game against Doosan in Suwon on 22.9.28.
In the eighth inning with a 9-4 lead, KT manager Lee Kang-chul took the mound himself and replaced the best bullpen Woo Kyu-min with Park Young-hyun at the ball count of 2B2S. Park Young-hyun allowed one run with a walk and a ground ball, but roared after striking out a swing and miss with a change-up 129km away after a full count match with young slugger Kim Young-woong on the first and third bases with two outs.
KT confirmed the victory by adding three points with Oh Yoon-seok's wedge two-run shot following Bae Jeong-dae's timely hit in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 9-5 lead.
Samsung's No. 3 Koo Ja-wook made his 43rd 2,400-base hit with four hits in four at-bats, but the team's defeat faded. As LG won on the day, it failed to reduce the second-place Magic Number 2.
hschung@sportschosun.com
