KT Wiz outfielder Choi Byeong-dae (28) saved his team from the brink with a cool home run.
In the third game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League Playoffs (PO-5 best-of-three) against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on April 2, the KT Wiz batted eighth and hit the game-winning home run.
With the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Bae Joo-dae lined a two-pitch low slider from NC Tanner Tully for a two-run arch over the left field fence.
This is the moment KT eagerly awaited this fall.
KT lost both the first and second games of the PO in Suwon. In both games, they were unable to turn the tide after losing the lead to NC.
With KT facing elimination, the importance of taking the lead to set the tone was even greater. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol said before the game, “I hope the batting lineup can strike early.”
The long-awaited first run came from the bat of Byeong-dae. With one hit, KT was able to take a 2-0 lead in the game. The two runs were the only runs KT batters scored against NC starter Tanner Tully on the day.
KT, which was the first team to end the regular season on the 10th, started fall baseball with the first round of the PO after a 19-day break. Due to the long break, the KT batters were unable to pick up their batting pace and struggled against the NC mound.
The platoon was different. For PO, he has been making his presence felt by getting a hit in every game.
Trailing 1-9 in Game 1, he had two hits, including a walk-off home run off NC closer Lee Yong-chan in the bottom of the ninth inning. He added another hit in Game 2, and in Game 3, he sent a pitch over the fence to give his team the win.
A consistent performer in the regular season, Bae is also a consistent hitter in fall baseball. In 14 postseason games last year, he batted .309 (17-for-55) with one home run and eight RBIs.
Once again, the bat of Bae Jae-dae led KT to a 3-0 victory over NC, sending the game to a best-of-four series.
After the game, Bae commented on his home run in the second inning, saying, “Tanner had a quick motion when he was on first base. I tried to get ready for the first pitch, but it was too late.” “I had a feeling he was going to throw a changeup in the second inning. I wasn’t aiming for it, but I had it in mind and it worked out well.”
“I didn’t have a bad at-bat in the first inning,” he said. “My first hit in the first inning was against (opposing ace) Eric Peddy, so I was able to relax and take it easy at the plate, and that’s where we’re getting good results.”
He couldn’t smile after hitting a perfect game in Game 1 because of his poor defense.
In the fourth inning of Game 1, with runners on second and third, Kwon followed Hee-dong Kwon’s pitch all the way to the plate, but couldn’t catch it, and it went for a triple. It wasn’t recorded as an error, but it was disappointing considering the range of the platoon’s defense.
However, she also made an impressive play on defense. In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, Kwon made a sliding catch of Hee-dong Kwon’s hit to center field.
The placer says, “I made a mistake in game one. It was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened. I wasn’t happy when I hit a home run in the first inning.” “Honestly, I was 메이저사이트 very nervous in the first inning. For the next game, I focused on erasing the memory of my mistake, so I could focus more on my defense.”
KT’s cadet squad dreams of a ‘reverse sweep’. Only Hyundai Unicorns in 1996 and SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) in 2009 were able to reverse a two-game deficit with three straight wins in the best-of-five POs.
“It’s a win that we can aim for a reverse sweep,” said Choi, who is determined to win Game 4.