Game Summary
The KT Wiz rallied late to edge the visiting Doosan Bears 5-4 on Tuesday night at Suwon Stadium, handing Doosan their second straight defeat and extending KT’s grip on first place. The game remained tight throughout, but a dramatic ninth-inning sequence turned what looked like a pitching duel into an emotional roller coaster. Hyun-soo Kim delivered the game-winner with the bases loaded and one out, slapping a single to right field that proved to be the difference in a matchup between the league’s top two teams.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| KT Wiz | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
For five innings, Jack Loggins kept the Bears’ potent lineup largely in check. The Doosan starter scattered six hits while striking out seven, allowing just three runs through six innings of work. But the Wiz bullpen proved more decisive down the stretch, and manager Lee Kyou-chul’s late-inning moves—including the decision to bring Kim Jeong-woon in for the ninth—paid off when it mattered most.
Doosan entered the game sitting in fifth place with a 59-51 record, while the first-place Wiz came in at 65-42, a commanding position in the standings. This loss drops the Bears further back in the wild-card race with less than a month remaining in the regular season.
Pitching Performance
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | ||||||
| Jack Rohr | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Takada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Taek-yeon [H] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lee Young-ha [L] | 0 ⅓ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| KT Wiz | ||||||
| Daniel | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Son Dong-hyun | 0 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeon Yong-ju | 0 ⅓ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sugimoto | 1 ⅓ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kim Jung-un [W] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Loggins worked six solid innings for the Bears, allowing three runs on six hits. He walked just one and struck out seven, keeping his team in the game despite limited offensive support in the early going. The right-hander mixed his pitches effectively and avoided serious trouble until the fourth inning, when Sung-woo Jang broke through with a solo home run—his tenth of the season.
The Doosan bullpen came in to clean up the mess in the seventh, with Takada and Kim Taek-yeon combining for two scoreless innings. Young-ha Lee, however, couldn’t escape the ninth. Facing a two-on, one-out situation and runners in scoring position, Lee surrendered three straight hits—a pair of singles sandwiched around a walk—before being pulled without recording an out. The decision ultimately cost Doosan the game.
For KT, Daniel started and gave up just two runs across six innings, walking four while striking out seven. His command wavered at times, but he limited the damage and hung around long enough for the offense to find its footing. The Wiz pieced together five different relievers in the final three innings, with Kim Jeong-woon earning the win after retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Offensive Highlights
| Batter | AB | H | R | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | |||||
| Park Chan-ho | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jung Su-bin | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kim Min-seok | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Dae-han | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jo Su-haeng | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| KT Wiz | |||||
| Choi Won-jun | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kim Hyun-soo | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ahn Hyun-min | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jang Sung-woo | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Chan-ho Park led the Bears’ charge with two hits in four at-bats, including an RBI and two stolen bases that showed plenty of aggression on the basepaths. Kim Min-seok went 2-for-5, while Su-bin Jung and Dae-han Kim each chipped in a hit and an RBI. Overall, though, Doosan managed just nine hits and couldn’t generate enough run support when their pitchers were holding serve.
The Wiz’s attack was equally modest through most of the evening. Won-jun Choi reached base twice with his bat, and Hyun-soo Kim finished with two hits and two RBIs, setting himself up perfectly for his moment in the sun. An-hyun An and Sung-woo Jang provided timely hits, with Jang’s solo shot in the fourth accounting for half of KT’s runs through seven innings.
Neither team was particularly explosive at the plate. This was a game decided by pitching matchups, bullpen execution, and clutch situations rather than raw offensive firepower. The ninth inning changed that equation fast.
Key Play
With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth—the result of three consecutive hits and a walk off Lee—Hyun-soo Kim stepped in against the Doosan bullpen. The KT designated hitter didn’t try to do too much. He slapped a fastball to right field for a clean single, scoring the go-ahead run and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. It was the difference-maker, the play that will be replayed on the highlight reels and remembered in the standings race.
The ninth inning also featured some sloppy defense, with an error charged to Jae-seok Ahn in the third and another misplay by Chan-ho Park that put runners in motion when the game was still in reach.
Standings Impact
KT Wiz remain firmly atop the KBO standings at 65-42-3, extending their cushion at the top of the table. Doosan Bears slip further down at 59-51-4, now firmly in fifth place and facing an uphill climb to salvage their playoff hopes. With limited time remaining, losses to division rivals like KT loom large.