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| Kang Min-seong / Photo=DB |
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu] KT Wiz held onto first place with a 6-5 extra-inning win over the LG Twins.
KT edged LG 6-5 on the 28th at Suwon KT Wiz Park in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League matchup.
The victory pushed KT to 18-8 and stretched their lead over second-place LG (16-9) to 1.5 games.
Starter Matt Sauer delivered a solid outing for KT, working six innings with six hits allowed (one home run), five strikeouts, two walks and two runs, but he did not factor into the decision.
Offensively, Kang Min-seong delivered the decisive walk-off single, and Choi Won-joon had a three-hit night to drive the comeback.
LG starter Lachlan Wells nearly had a gem — six innings, three hits, eight strikeouts, two walks and no runs — but he left without a win.
LG struck first. In the top of the first, Hong Chang-ki tripled and Cheon Seong-ho followed with an RBI single to center for the game’s opening run.
In the fourth, leadoff hitter Moon Bo-kyung worked an eight-pitch battle against Sauer and turned a 78.3 mph (126 km/h) curveball into a solo homer to extend LG’s momentum.
KT, silent through six innings, flipped the script in the seventh. In the bottom half, Hilliard’s infield hit and Lee Jeong-hoon’s single to right put runners at first and second with no outs. Kim Sang-su hit a grounder to short that led to a rundown and an out at second, but Yoo Jun-gyu followed with an RBI single to pull KT within one.
With one out and runners at the corners, Lee Kang-min was involved in a close play while Yoo Jun-gyu stole second. Kim Min-hyuk then lined a two-run single to left to put KT ahead.
LG answered quickly. In the top of the eighth, after two outs Moon Bo-kyung drew a walk and Song Chan-ui singled to put runners at second and third. Oh Ji-hwan then ripped a two-run single to right to restore the lead.
Park Hae-min drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, and Park Dong-won’s RBI single to left stretched LG’s advantage.
KT, however, refused to fold. In the bottom of the ninth, Kwon Dong-jin’s hit and walks to Yoo Jun-gyu and Lee Kang-min produced a two-out, bases-loaded opportunity. Choi Won-joon followed with an infield RBI single, and Kim Hyun-soo was awarded a bases-loaded walk to knot the game at 5-5.
The game went to extra innings, and KT finished it in the 10th.
In the bottom of the 10th, after Kwon Dong-jin’s infield hit and a walk to Kim Sang-su put runners at first and second with two outs, Kang Min-seong delivered a walk-off single to left to seal the win.
Elsewhere, the NC Dinos beat the KIA Tigers 5-4 at home.
The win moved NC to 12-13, tying them with KIA (12-13) for fifth place.
NC starter Shin Min-hyuk struggled, lasting 3 2/3 innings while allowing five hits (two homers), three strikeouts, one walk and four runs, but he escaped with no decision.
Matt Davidson supplied a multi-hit game that included a homer, and Lee Woo-sung also had multiple hits against his former club.
KIA starter James Nail took the loss after six innings, surrendering eight hits (one home run), striking out four, walking one and allowing five runs.
The Hanwha Eagles also picked up an extra-inning walk-off over the SSG Landers at home.
The victory kept Hanwha at 11-14 in seventh place, while SSG remained third at 15-10.
Hanwha starter Wang Yen-cheng worked 5 1/3 innings, giving up five hits (one home run), striking out two, walking three and allowing two runs before leaving with no decision.
Noh Si-hwan finished the game with a bases-loaded walk, and Shim Woo-jun paced the offense with three hits.
SSG starter Choi Min-joon exited after five innings with five hits allowed, three strikeouts, one walk and two runs, also earning no decision.
The Lotte Giants pulled out a close win over the Kiwoom Heroes.
Lotte dropped to 8-1-16 (W-T-L) while Kiwoom remained ninth at 10-16.
Lotte starter Kim Jin-wook tossed five innings, allowing four hits, striking out six, issuing three walks and giving up two runs, but did not factor into the decision.
At the plate, Jeon Min-jae collected three hits, and Jang Du-seong, Victor Reyes and Yoo Kang-nam each recorded multi-hit games.
Kiwoom starter Raul Alcantara took the loss after six innings, yielding ten hits, striking out three, walking two and allowing five runs.
[Sports Today Reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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