Game Summary
The KT Wiz came from behind to stun the NC Dinos 7-3 on Monday night in Changwon, capturing their 62nd win of the season behind a dramatic ninth-inning rally. What looked like a defensive struggle through eight innings exploded into chaos in the final frame, when KT batters capitalized on NC’s bullpen meltdown. Won Joon Choi delivered the game-winning hit with two outs and the bases loaded, sending a right-field single that proved to be the difference in a sloppy, error-filled finish.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| NC Dinos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
The Dinos held a 3-1 lead entering the ninth, but their relief corps couldn’t hold on. Consecutive walks, wild pitches, and defensive miscues gave KT the opening it needed. The home run by Hyun Soo Kim in the fourth inning had kept the Wiz within striking distance all evening, and that early deficit proved manageable once the bats heated up.
Pitching Performance
NC starter Riley matched KT’s Logan for most of the game, each pitcher locked in a tight contest through six innings. Riley struck out nine and allowed just two hits while walking two, showcasing the kind of control that has made him a fixture atop the Dinos rotation. He departed with the lead intact, but the relief appearance by Ji Min Lim changed everything in the ninth.
Logan, working for KT, scattered six hits and three runs across five and two-thirds innings. He wasn’t overpowering, but he kept the Dinos from building on their early advantages. The real difference came in the ninth, when the Dinos cycled through four relief pitchers—an unusual strategy that suggested NC was scrambling to manage the situation. Young Joo Jeon earned the save with a scoreless ninth, including two strikeouts.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | ||||||
| Logan | 5 ⅔ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Sang-dong Lee | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Son Dong-hyun | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeon Yong-ju | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Woo Gyu-min [W] | 0 ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Park Young-hyun | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| NC Dinos | ||||||
| Riley | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Jeon Sa-min [H] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Jin-ho [H] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lim Ji-min [L] | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lee Yong-jun | 0 ⅔ | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Lim Jung-ho | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Son Ju-hwan | 0 ⅓ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
NC’s bullpen imploded in ways that statistics don’t fully capture. Beyond the official numbers, there were the mental errors: a throwing miscue that moved runners into scoring position, hesitation on covering bases, and the kind of unraveling that happens when a team loses confidence in a single inning.
Offensive Highlights
KT’s attack was methodical until the ninth, when it became frantic. Min Hyuk Kim went 2-for-4 and moved runners effectively. An-hyun Min added two RBIs with a single, keeping pressure on NC’s defense. But it was Kim’s solo homer in the fourth—a line drive that cleared the left-field wall off Riley—that signaled the Wiz weren’t going away quietly.
The Dinos managed just three runs despite putting runners in position several times. Joo Won Kim had two hits and a stolen base, showing some offensive life. Gun Woo Park also went 2-for-4. But they couldn’t string together anything resembling a rally once KT’s bats woke up.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | |||||
| Choi Won-jun | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kim Hyun-soo | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ahn Hyun-min | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kim Min-hyuk | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryu Hyun-in | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| NC Dinos | |||||
| Kim Ju-won | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blaine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Park Gun-woo | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Hui-jip | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What made the ninth so devastating for NC was the combination of walks, contact, and luck. Hyun In Ryu, a pinch hitter with limited at-bats, delivered a crucial single. Min Hyuk Kim’s earlier hits in the game suddenly mattered more as baserunners moved with each swing.
Key Play
Choi’s winning hit overshadowed two pivotal defensive errors by NC in the ninth. Min Woo Park and Woo Sung Lee each made mistakes that extended KT’s inning at a critical moment. These aren’t usually the plays that determine games, but combined with the walks and the pitched balls that got away, they proved decisive. A more composed Dinos team might have escaped, but the pressure mounted with each mistake.
Standings Impact
The victory keeps KT atop the KBO standings with a commanding 62-40 record after draws are factored in. They now enjoy a significant cushion over second place. NC, meanwhile, falls further back in seventh with a 46-53 mark. The Dinos’ season appears to be slipping away, and nights like this—where opportunities go begging and relief pitchers falter—only accelerate the decline.