Game Summary
The KT Wiz took down the SSG Landers 3-1 on Friday night at Incheon, extending their hold on first place in the KBO standings. It wasn’t a high-scoring affair, but the Wiz’s pitching staff suffocated the Landers’ lineup when it mattered most, while their bats managed to strike at just the right moments.
Logan was masterful through six innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven without walking a batter. The Landers’ starter Avila kept things competitive into the seventh, but a crucial two-out rally in the first inning—capped by Kim Hyun-soo’s go-ahead double down the right-center gap—proved to be the difference. SSG got their lone run in the ninth when Eredia homered off closer Park Young-hyun, but it came too late to matter.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| SSG Landers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
The Wiz improved to 64-3-41 on the season, maintaining their commanding nine-game lead over second place. The Landers dropped to 45-5-64, falling further out of contention in the basement of the standings.
Pitching Performance
Logan’s outing was everything the Wiz needed from their starter. Working out of a clean pocket all night, he issued no walks while punching out seven Landers batters. Through six innings, he surrendered just four hits and allowed zero runs. The right-hander’s command was sharp, keeping SSG’s hitters off-balance throughout his time on the mound.
After Logan departed, Sugimoto took over and pitched 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief. He walked two but kept the ball in the yard, retiring a pair of batters by strikeout. Park Young-hyun earned the save despite a shaky ninth inning. The closer allowed two hits and one run—Eredia’s solo shot—but got the final out with runners still on base.
For the Landers, Avila held his own through seven frames, giving up eight hits and three runs while fanning seven. The right-hander’s 1-0 deficit after the second inning proved insurmountable. The SSG bullpen—Yee Gun-wook, Park Si-hu, and Choi Yong-jun combined—worked 2⅓ scoreless innings, but the damage was already done by that point.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | ||||||
| Logan [W] | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Sugimoto [H] | 1 ⅔ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Park Young-hyun [S] | 1 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SSG Landers | ||||||
| Avila [L] | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Lee Gun-wook | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Park Si-hu | 0 ⅓ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Choi Yong-joon | 0 ⅔ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Offensive Highlights
Kim Hyun-soo was the star of the show at the plate, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBIs. His two-run double in the first inning off Avila delivered the game-winning runs and essentially settled the matchup early.
Kwon Dong-jin had an exceptional night, going 3-for-3 with one RBI. The utility player provided his team with much-needed spark and consistency in the middle innings. Hilliard reached base twice on four at-bats with two hits and also swiped a bag in the third inning, keeping the KT offense moving.
The Landers’ Jung Jun-jae registered two hits in four tries but couldn’t generate the run production needed to mount a comeback. Eredia’s 16th home run of the season was the only run SSG could muster, a solo shot in the ninth that came with the game already decided.
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT Wiz | |||||
| Hilliard | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Hyun-soo | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kwon Dong-jin | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| SSG Landers | |||||
| Jung Joon-jae | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heredia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Key Plays
The decisive moment came in the bottom of the first inning with two outs and runners on second and third. Kim Hyun-soo didn’t miss his opportunity against Avila, ripping a double into the gap that scored both baserunners. That swing put the Wiz up 2-0 before the Landers could even record an out.
Eredia’s solo home run in the ninth gave SSG a pulse late, but Park Young-hyun’s ability to record the final outs prevented any further damage. The Landers grounded into double plays twice—Kim Min-hyuk in the fifth and Han Yoo-seom in the seventh—showcasing missed opportunities to create scoring chances.
Standings Impact
This victory keeps the Wiz firmly entrenched atop the KBO, with their 64 wins now representing the best record in the league. The three-win margin is nothing to take for granted this deep into August, and KT continues to show the consistency needed to sustain a championship run.
For SSG, the loss drops them deeper into the second division. At 45-5-64, the Landers’ playoff hopes are growing murkier with each passing week. Friday’s loss represents another missed opportunity against a beatable opponent, and the mathematics of their situation become increasingly grim.