KT Wiz defeat Kia Tigers in KBO wild card game

All News 21:43 October 13, 2022

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) -- The defending South Korean baseball champions KT Wiz beat the Kia Tigers 6-2 in their wild card game Thursday, taking a step toward a second straight title behind timely hitting and shutdown relief pitching.

The Wiz scored three runs each in the third and the eighth innings at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, and three relievers combined for 3 2/3 shutout innings after starter So Hyeong-jun held the Tigers to two runs -- one unearned -- over 5 1/3 innings.

Bae Jung-dae of the KT Wiz celebrates after hitting a three-run double against the Kia Tigers during the bottom of the eighth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Wiz will now face the Kiwoom Heroes in the best-of-five first round series, which starts Sunday. As the higher seed at No. 3, the Heroes will have the home field advantage and host the first two games, and, if necessary, the fifth game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.

As the No. 4 seed, the Wiz only needed a tie or a win in the wild card game to advance to the next round. The fifth-seed Tigers had to win two straight games but came up short in the first try.

The Wiz put up a three-spot in the bottom third to chase starter Sean Nolin, after the American left-hander had retired the game's first six batters.

KT Wiz starter So Hyeong-jun pitches against the Kia Tigers during the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

A walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a single had runners at first and second for Cho Yong-ho, who broke the ice with a two-run double off the right field wall.

Two batters later, Anthony Alford lined a single to right fielder Na Sung-bum, who had the ball carom off the heel of his glove and roll to the warning track. Cho scored easily to give the Wiz a 3-0 lead.

Nolin was pulled after walking the next batter, Park Byung-ho.

Anthony Alford of the KT Wiz runs the bases after hitting an RBI single against the Kia Tigers during the bottom of the third inning of a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Tigers had an immediate answer in the top fourth, with cleanup Socrates Brito delivering a single to drive in Ryu Ji-hyuk, who had led off the frame with a double.

So Hyeong-jun, who had been perfect through three, got into even more trouble when he walked Kim Sun-bin to load the bases. So then fell behind 2-0 against Hwang Dae-in, the only Tiger to have homered off So in the regular season, but battled back to strike him out swinging on a two-seam fastball.

Cho Yong-ho of the KT Wiz hits a two-run double against the Kia Tigers during the bottom of the third inning of a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Tigers got another run back in the top fifth, courtesy of So's error.

With speedy runner Park Chan-ho at second, Lee Chang-jin hit a dribbler toward the hole on the right. First baseman Kang Baek-ho fielded it and threw to So covering the bag, but the pitcher dropped the ball. Park, running on contact with two outs, scored easily to make it a 3-2 game.

Both teams wasted opportunities to put more runs on the board.

Wes Benjamin of the KT Wiz celebrates after completing the top of the eighth inning against the Kia Tigers in a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

The Wiz bounced into double plays in the fifth and sixth innings. The Tigers couldn't cash in after putting a tying run at second base in the sixth inning and then stranded two runners with one out in the seventh.

The Wiz failed to extend their lead after Bae Jung-dae led off the bottom seventh with a single.

And Bae took matters into his own hands to blow the game wide open in the bottom eighth.

The Tigers brought in starter Lee Eui-lee to begin the bottom eighth, but the left-hander walked the bases loaded before handing things over to Jang Hyun-sik.

At 1-1 count, Bae drove a slider into the left field corner for a bases-clearing double, putting the Wiz up 6-2.

KT starter Wes Benjamin struck out the side in the eighth, pitching on two days' rest, and closer Kim Jae-yoon slammed the door shut in the ninth.

So, who struck out five and walked one, improved to 2-0 in his postseason career, with a sparkling 0.87 ERA.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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