KT Survives Seven-Run Samsung Rally to Win Korean Series Opener

The KT Wiz survived one of the wildest late rallies in Korean Series history, holding off the Samsung Lions 8-7 in Game 1 on Tuesday night at Suwon KT Wiz Park. KT built an 8-0 lead behind three home runs, then watched Samsung score seven times across the seventh and eighth innings before closer Park Yeong-hyun restored order with a perfect ninth.

• Final score: KT Wiz 8, Samsung Lions 7
• Series: KT leads the best-of-seven Korean Series 1-0
• Winning pitcher: Davis Daniel
• Save: Park Yeong-hyun
• Game 2: Wednesday, November 4, at Suwon KT Wiz Park

KT’s power creates an eight-run cushion

KT attacked Samsung starter Choi Won-tae immediately. Sam Hilliard opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first inning, and Kim Sang-soo followed with an RBI infield single for a 3-0 lead.

An Hyun-min delivered the first major blow in the third. After Kim Min-hyuk doubled, An drove a changeup over the left-field wall for a two-run homer in his first Korean Series appearance. The shot pushed the lead to 5-0 and ended Choi’s night after two innings and five runs allowed.

Han Seung-taek added a solo home run in the fifth before Kim Hyun-soo hit a two-run shot in the sixth. At 8-0, KT appeared to be cruising toward a comfortable opening victory.

Daniel had controlled Samsung through six innings, striking out seven and retiring 13 consecutive batters at one stage. His final line was six innings and three runs allowed, with two inherited runners scoring after he left in the seventh.

Samsung turns a rout into a one-run game

The Lions finally broke through in the seventh. Park Seung-kyu singled and Koo Ja-wook followed with a two-run homer, ending Daniel’s run of dominance. Lewin Díaz then singled, and KT’s bullpen could not stop the inning from growing.

Ryu Ji-hyuk brought in another run on a groundout before Lee Jae-hyun lined a two-run single, cutting the margin to 8-5. Samsung added two more in the eighth on Kim Seong-yoon’s RBI single and a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

Park Yeong-hyun escaped that inning when pinch hitter Kim Hyun-jun lined out to left field with the tying run in scoring position. The KT closer then returned for the ninth and retired Samsung in order, striking out Park Seung-kyu to seal the save.

Game 1 gives KT an important historical edge

KT now leads the series 1-0 in its attempt to win a second Korean Series championship and its first since 2021. Entering this series, Game 1 winners had gone on to claim the title 31 times in 42 Korean Series, a 73.8 percent rate.

The comeback also gave Samsung reason for confidence after a disastrous start. The Lions nearly erased an eight-run deficit against the KBO regular-season champions and will return to the same ballpark for Game 2 on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time.

All 17,700 seats were filled for the first Korean Series game ever hosted in Suwon.