▲ KT manager Lee Kang-chul encourages his players with a smile.
Riding a fierce momentum of victories since the start of the second half of the season, professional baseball team KT Wiz secured their fifth consecutive win and climbed to the top of the standings on the first day of August.
KT defeated the Hanwha Eagles 7-4 in their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park today.
With a season record of 58 wins, 2 draws, and 36 losses (a winning percentage of 0.617), KT edged past the Samsung Lions (59 wins, 2 draws, 37 losses, winning percentage 0.615)—who did not play today due to extreme heat—by a razor-thin margin of two thousandths (.002), reclaiming the No. 1 spot for the first time in 76 days since May 17.
Trailing 0-1, KT turned the game around effortlessly in the bottom of the third inning by batting through the lineup and scoring seven runs.
Following a one-out mark, three consecutive hits against Hanwha left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann leveled the score at 1-1.
With the bases loaded after a walk by Sam Hilliard, Kim Sang-soo hit a single to right field, Oh Yoon-seok smashed a bases-clearing double to right field, and Han Seung-taek and Jang Jun-won followed with timely hits in a barrage of offense.
Hanwha chased with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, fueled by a solo home run from Noh Si-hwan and a two-run blast by Heo In-seo, but failed to crack the KT pitching staff any further.
Bae Je-seong, who allowed four runs over five innings, earned his first starting win in one year and eight days—dating back to his victory against the NC Diodnses on July 24—thanks to the batting lineup's cohesive offensive display.
Zimmermann suffered his first defeat in his second appearance on the Korean stage, giving up seven runs over four innings.
(Photo courtesy of KT Wiz, Yonhap News)
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