KT Wiz Triumphs Over KIA Tigers: A 2026 KBO League Showdown with Stunning Comeback

[SPOTV News — Suwon, Reporter Choi Won-young] The KT Wiz weathered a late rally and pulled away for an 8-3 victory.

On April 22 at Suwon’s KT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, KT beat the KIA Tigers 8-3. The win pushed KIA to its fourth straight loss while giving KT a two-game winning streak and a series victory that kept the Wiz atop the standings.

Starter Matt Sauer tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits (one homer), two walks and two runs while striking out seven on 93 pitches.

KIA briefly took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, but KT erupted for six runs in the bottom half to regain control. Lee Kang-min’s two-run RBI single proved decisive and ignited a flurry of run-scoring hits.

Lee finished with one hit and two RBIs; Choi Won-jun had two hits and one RBI; Kim Min-hyuk recorded two hits and three RBIs; Sam Hilliard and Kim Hyun-soo each had two hits; and Oh Yun-seok and Han Seung-taek each added a hit and an RBI.

Every starter in the lineup recorded a hit — the league’s seventh game this season and KT’s third in which the full starting nine reached base via hits.

◆ Starting lineups

- KT: Choi Won-jun (RF) — Kim Min-hyuk (LF) — Kim Hyun-soo (1B) — Lee Jeong-hoon (DH) — Sam Hilliard (CF) — Kwon Dong-jin (3B) — Oh Yun-seok (2B) — Han Seung-taek (C) — Lee Kang-min (SS). Starter: Matt Sauer.

- KIA: Kim Ho-ryeong (CF) — Lee Ho-yeon (1B) — Kim Seon-bin (DH) — Kim Do-young (3B) — Harold Castro (LF) — Na Sung-bum (RF) — Han Jun-su (C) — Jung Hyun-chang (SS) — Jerid Dale (2B). Starter: James Nail. Roster moves: RHP Kim Tae-hyung was optioned; RHP Jeong Hae-young was called up.

◆ Innings 1–3: KT gets on the board early

In the top of the first, Sauer set the tone by striking out Kim Ho-ryeong looking on three pitches, inducing a groundout from Lee Ho-yeon and retiring Kim Seon-bin on a fly to right.

James Nail matched him in the bottom half, striking out Choi Won-jun, forcing Kim Min-hyuk into a groundout and getting Kim Hyun-soo to ground out to second. Jung Dale made a clean play on a high, shallow ball.

The second inning saw Kim Do-young’s single followed by Castro’s 4-6-3 double play. After a walk to Na Sung-bum and a groundout from Han Jun-su, KIA escaped the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Lee Jeong-hoon struck out looking, but Hilliard beat out an infield single to short on a hustled run to first. Kwon Dong-jin’s single to right put runners at the corners, and Oh Yun-seok’s soft grounder to the mound prompted Nail to throw home — Hilliard beat the tag to give KT a 1-0 lead.

Han Seung-taek grounded out after a nine-pitch plate appearance, and with two outs and runners on second and third, Lee Kang-min flied out to left to end the threat.

In the third, Sauer struck out Jung Hyun-chang on three pitches, induced a grounder from Dale and fanned Kim Ho-ryeong swinging.

KT added a run in the bottom of the third. Choi drew a walk and stole second, then Kim Min-hyuk delivered an RBI single to center to make it 2-0. A potential 6-4-3 double play was disrupted when Dale’s cover at second leaned toward first, so Jung threw to first; only Kim Hyun-soo was retired, leaving KT with one out and a runner at second.

Lee Jeong-hoon was hit by a pitch, and Hilliard followed with a fly to center. Kwon Dong-jin struck out to end the inning.

◆ Innings 4–6: Dale connects

In the fourth, Lee Ho-yeon battled Sauer through a 10-pitch at-bat before striking out. Kim Seon-bin grounded out and Kim Do-young struck out looking to end the frame.

KT threatened in the bottom half: Oh reached on an infield hit, Han bunted, and Lee’s groundout left runners at the corners with two outs, but Choi struck out to end the inning.

In the fifth, after Castro doubled, Na Sung-bum flew out to center, Han lined out and Jung struck out. KT answered in the bottom half when Lee Jeong-hoon singled and Hilliard followed with an RBI double to right-center. Kwon hit back to the pitcher to end the inning with runners stranded.

In the sixth, Dale led off by driving Sauer’s 149 km/h fastball over the right-field wall for a 105.2m opposite-field solo homer, cutting KT’s lead to 2-1. Sauer then struck out Kim Ho-ryeong and induced flyouts from Lee Ho-yeon and Kim Seon-bin to finish the inning.

KIA brought in Jeong Hae-young in the bottom of the sixth. Oh flew out to first, Han was hit by a pitch, Lee struck out looking and Choi reached on an infield single. Kim Min-hyuk ended the frame with a fly to center.

◆ Innings 7–9: KT answers and pulls away

In the top of the seventh, Kim Do-young popped to short and Castro walked. KT turned to reliever Jeon Yong-ju. After Na Sung-bum walked, Jeon fell behind Han Jun-su and was replaced by Son Dong-hyun, who issued a walk to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Go Jong-wook delivered a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game at 2-2.

Dale then worked a walk after a nine-pitch battle, and Kim Ho-ryeong followed with a nine-pitch bases-loaded walk to put KIA up 3-2. Lee Ho-yeon ended the inning with a fly to left.

The bottom of the seventh was decisive. KIA made defensive and pitching changes, but KT rallied: Kim Hyun-soo reached on an infield single, pinch-hitter Jang Sung-woo drew a walk, and Hilliard hit into a fielder’s choice that made it one out with runners at second and third. KIA intentionally walked Oh to load the bases. Han Seung-taek’s grounder to third appeared to injure Kim Do-young, who failed to make a tag; the play was scored an infield single and Kim Hyun-soo scored to tie it at 3-3.

KIA brought in Jo Sang-woo, but Lee Kang-min delivered a two-run single to left to put KT up 5-3. Choi followed with an RBI single to right, and a throwing error by Park Min allowed Choi to advance to second. With two outs and runners at second and third, Han Jae-seung took the mound for KIA. Kim Min-hyuk ripped a two-run single to left to make it 8-3; he was tagged out at first as the third out, ending the rally.

In the eighth, KT turned to Joo Kwon. Jang moved to DH and Kim Sang-soo shifted to third. KIA got a single from Kim Seon-bin but failed to convert, and Na grounded out to first to end the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, Joo Hyo-sang caught and Kim Gyu-seong took third base. On Kim Hyun-soo’s fly to left, Castro attempted a sliding catch but came up empty, and the play became a two-base hit. Jang popped out, Hilliard struck out, Han uncorked a wild pitch and Jang Jun-won drew a walk to create two-on, two-out. Oh struck out to end the inning.

Joo Kwon stayed on the mound in the ninth to close out the game and secure the win for KT.