The Samsung Lions delivered a statement win on August 8, 2025, taking down the KT Wiz 8-4 in a pivotal 11th-round regular season clash of the 2025 SOL Bank KBO League at KT Wiz Park in Suwon. For a Samsung squad desperately clawing for playoff positioning, this victory could hardly have come at a more crucial moment. The Lions, who entered the contest in seventh place and trailing KT by just two games, managed to slice the deficit to a single game, tightening the race for the coveted fifth spot and injecting new life into their postseason aspirations.
Samsung’s ace, Won Tae-in, was the star of the show, finally snapping a 52-day winless drought that had stretched back to June 17. Won powered through 7 1/3 innings, allowing six hits—two of them home runs—while walking one and striking out four. He surrendered four earned runs but showed his trademark grit, tossing 102 pitches and keeping KT’s formidable lineup in check for most of the night. With this performance, Won notched his seventh win of the season against three losses and, in a personal milestone, surpassed 1,000 career innings—becoming just the 94th pitcher in KBO history to do so. "Won Tae-in has pitched well but hadn’t had luck on his side recently. I’m happy to finally congratulate him on a well-deserved win," manager Park Jin-man said after the game.
Samsung’s offense was relentless, as every batter in the starting lineup notched at least one hit—a rare feat and the team’s third such occurrence this season. The Lions racked up 15 hits in total, with the heart of the order doing much of the damage. Kim Young-eop was especially lethal, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. His second-inning blast off KT’s starter So Hyung-jun sailed 131.8 meters over the right-field wall, giving Samsung an early lead and setting the tone for the night. Rookie infielder Hyeon Su-ho chimed in with his first career multi-hit game, driving in a run and scoring another, while Kim Sung-yoon and Yang Do-kyun each contributed two hits and combined for three RBIs.
Veteran catcher Kang Min-ho added a historic exclamation point in the ninth inning. With Samsung leading 6-4 and momentum still in the balance, Kang launched a two-run homer off KT reliever Lee Sang-dong. Not only did the blast put the game out of reach, but it also marked Kang’s 10th home run of the season—making him only the third player in KBO history to reach double-digit homers in 16 consecutive seasons, following in the footsteps of legends Choi Jeong and Choi Hyoung-woo. "When Kang Min-ho hit that two-run homer in the ninth, it was huge for us. It should give the team a positive boost heading into tomorrow’s game," Park Jin-man noted.
KT Wiz, meanwhile, saw their momentum stall as they failed to extend their winning streak. Their record slipped to 52 wins, 5 draws, and 52 losses, leaving them just a game ahead of Samsung. The Wiz’s offense was powered by Kang Baek-ho, who hammered a solo home run in the second inning and later contributed a two-run shot in the eighth off Samsung’s bullpen. Kwon Dong-jin also added a two-run homer in the sixth to keep KT within striking distance. But despite these fireworks, the Wiz couldn’t overcome Samsung’s timely hitting and clutch pitching.
KT starter So Hyung-jun, making his final regular-season start, struggled with command, yielding 10 hits and six runs (four earned) over six innings. He struck out just two and walked one, suffering his fifth loss against seven wins. A pivotal moment came in the fourth inning, when a defensive miscue by KT’s shortstop Kwon Dong-jin opened the floodgates for Samsung. The Lions capitalized, stringing together a flurry of hits and scoring four runs to break the game open.
Samsung’s bullpen held firm in the late innings. Rookie reliever Bae Chan-seung was summoned in the eighth with runners on and the tying run at the plate. He responded with ice in his veins, striking out both Andrew Stevenson and Kim Sang-soo looking to end the threat and preserve a two-run lead. Closer Kim Jae-yoon then slammed the door in the ninth, retiring the side in order to seal the win.
Manager Park Jin-man was effusive in his praise for the entire squad, singling out the bottom of the order for sparking the offense and Bae Chan-seung for his clutch relief work. "The bottom of our lineup really stepped up today, and Bae Chan-seung’s back-to-back strikeouts in the eighth were massive," Park said. "It was a game where everyone contributed, and that’s what we need as we push for the playoffs."
The Lions now stand at 51 wins, 1 draw, and 53 losses, surging with back-to-back victories and eyeing a three-game sweep. They’ll send Herison Garabito to the mound in the series finale on August 9, hoping to keep the momentum rolling. KT, looking to bounce back and protect their slim lead in the standings, will counter with ace Emmanuel De Jesus in what promises to be a high-stakes rubber match at Hairusuto stadium.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as both teams enter the final stretch of the regular season. For Samsung, the resurgence of Won Tae-in and the steady bats throughout the lineup offer a glimmer of hope after a rocky summer. For KT, the challenge now is to regroup and find answers on both sides of the ball, especially with the playoff picture growing murkier by the day.
As the dust settles on a dramatic night in Suwon, fans of both clubs are left with plenty to chew on. Will Samsung’s late-season push carry them into the postseason, or will KT find a way to fend off their surging rivals? With another critical matchup looming, the KBO League’s playoff race is heating up—and there’s no telling how this story will end.
