KT to overturn 3-game winning streak after 2 losses "LG must be ready" from tomorrow

NC comes from behind to win Game 5 of PO

Pinch-hitter Kim Min-hyuk hits a game-tying double

Reliever Son Dong-hyun MVP of the 'March of Zero'

LG "Players are eager to win"

KT players in the dugout celebrate as they run onto the field after their 3-2 come-from-behind win in Game 5 of the playoffs against NC on Friday. KT won the series with three straight wins after two losses.

KT is back in the Korean Series for the first time in two years with a magical come-from-behind victory.

KT came from behind to win 3-2 at home in Suwon on Friday in the fifth and final game of the 2023 Baseball Playoffs (PO) against NC. KT, which advanced through the PO with a 3-2 series victory, will play the best-of-seven best-of-four Korean Series against regular-season champion LG on April 7. This is the second time KT has reached the Korean Series since 2021, when they won the overall title.

KT, which finished second in the regular season, dropped Games 1 and 2 to No. 4 NC, which has been riding a wave of momentum since the wild-card decider. Until last year, only two out of 17 times (11.8%) had a team that lost both Games 1 and 2 in the best-of-five PO advanced to the Korean Series with a reverse sweep. KT turned things around by taking Games 3 and 4 in Changwon, where they were swept on Games 2 and 3. KT scored 14 runs in Games 3 and 4 while allowing just two runs in those two games.

In Game 5, it was KT outfielder Kim Min-hyuk who changed the course of the game. Kim, who had the team's highest batting average (.297) in the regular season, injured his thigh late in the season and was limited to pinch-hitting in the POs. With runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth inning, down 0-2, KT manager Lee Kang-cheol brought Kim to the plate. Kim Min-hyuk battled NC starter Shin Min-hyuk to a full count and hit a tying two-run double down the right field line. With the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Park Byung-ho singled in front of the second baseman to bring home Kim Sang-soo from third base to make it 3-2.

KT's quick pitching change also paved the way for the victory. In the top of the sixth inning, with the score tied at 2-2, KT pulled starter Benjamin, who had been pitching well, and brought in reliever Son Dong-hyun. Son lived up to the bench's expectations, throwing two scoreless innings of one-hit ball. In the bottom of the sixth inning, KT's bats rallied and Son earned the win. KT used set-up man Park Young-hyun in the eighth and closer Kim Jae-yoon in the ninth to secure the one-run victory.

Son was voted the PO Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the postgame press poll. He received 39 out of 71 votes. Son pitched in all five games of the PO, going 1-0 with a perfect record of 7 innings pitched with no runs allowed and a 0.00 ERA.

NC, which was considered an underdog before the start of the season, failed to advance to the Korean Series, but made a splash. They went on a six-game postseason winning streak from the Wild Card Game to Games 1 and 2 of the PO, but were unable to overcome their physical limitations at the end. NC head coach Kang In-hwa said, "Our players showed their passion with one mind and one heart. It was a happy journey through the season and a beautiful challenge," he said.

Attention now turns to the Korean Series, where the season champion will be crowned. "The PO just ended, so I think we need to organize ourselves a bit. We're going to think about the rotation of our starting pitchers."

LG, which is trying to win its first Korean Series title in 29 years since 1994, took about three weeks off after the regular season ended to rest and play practice games. "Our players' desire to win is stronger than ever," said LG head coach Yeom Kyung-yeop. We expect to play well in the Korean Series." This year, LG led the regular season series 10-6. 19가이드03