KT clinches a direct playoff berth with a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the 144th game of the season. The players who created the magic spoke in unison, expressing their determination to beat LG and lift the trophy for the second time.
KT Wiz won the season finale (Game 16) of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Doosan Bears in a dramatic 5-4 thriller at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on Tuesday. KT clinched second place in the season finale and earned a direct playoff berth. They also finished the season with a dominant 10 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses against Doosan.
From start to finish, the season was nothing short of miraculous and magical. Before the 2023 season, KT was categorized as one of the top three teams alongside LG and SSG, but an unexpected rash of injuries derailed their plans. Starting with Pil Seung-jo, Kim Min-soo, and Joo Ju-kwon, the team was unable to operate at full strength as key players such as Choi Jae-dae, Choi Soo-joon, Uhm Sang-baek, Hwang Jae-gyun, Park Byung-ho, and Choi Soo-ho went down with injuries one after another. By early June, KT was in last place with a -14 win-loss margin.
KT began its rebound with six straight wins, starting on June 3 against Doosan in Suwon. After going 15-8 (1st overall) in June, the team went 13-6 (3rd) in July, finally achieving a winning percentage of more than 5%. Slowly climbing up the rankings, KT finally reached No. 2 with a win over Hanwha in Daejeon on August 19, and remained there for nearly two months, earning a thrilling playoff berth. After the game, the team celebrated their second-place finish with a postseason kickoff ceremony with their home fans.
The final win of the day was also magical. After rallying from a 1-2 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two-run double, KT gave up two more runs in the top of the ninth inning to cut the deficit to 3-4.
KT didn’t go down without a fight. In the bottom of the ninth, Hwang Jae-gyun led off with a dramatic tying solo home run off Doosan closer Jung Chul-won, and after back-to-back singles by Park Byung-ho and pinch-hitter Lee Ho-yeon and an automatic walk to Moon Sang-chul, Kang Hyun-woo closed out the game with a game-ending push-button double. It was a moment of triumph for KT, which had been in last place since early June, as the second-place team in the regular season.
KT rose to prominence two years ago when it won its first overall title, but its dream of a second consecutive title was dashed when it failed to overcome the barrier of growth in the semifinals last year. Therefore, the word “championship” came out of the players’ mouths after the second-place finish.
Hwang Jae-gyun, who hit the tying home run in the ninth inning, said, “We only have the championship in our minds. We want to go all the way to the Korean Series and finish with a good result. All the players have nothing but the championship in their heads.” “It was disappointing to win the championship in Gochuk two years ago, but this time we have a chance to win at home, so we have to try to grab it. No matter who comes (in the semifinals), we are ready to win 메이저사이트.”
William Cuevas, the ace behind KT’s miraculous comeback, added: “The most important thing is to win. We have to go through the playoffs before we go to the Korean Series, so beating LG is the biggest goal. We have to go through the playoffs before we go to the Korean Series, and after that, our biggest goal is to beat LG.” He expressed his strong desire for V2.
Hwang Jae-gyun, who hit the tying home run in the ninth inning, said, “We only have the championship in our minds. We want to go all the way to the Korean Series and finish with a good result. All the players have nothing but the championship in their heads.” “It was disappointing to win the championship in Gochuk two years ago, but this time we have a chance to win at home, so we have to try to grab it. No matter who comes (in the semifinals), we are ready to win.”
William Cuevas, the ace behind KT’s miraculous comeback, added: “The most important thing is to win. We have to go through the playoffs before we go to the Korean Series, so beating LG is the biggest goal. We have to go through the playoffs before we go to the Korean Series, and after that, our biggest goal is to beat LG.” He expressed his strong desire for V2.