Kim Dong-hyun and Park Ji-hoon were good. KT Wiz came from behind to lose to Taiwan Rakuten 3-6. 1 draw and 1 loss for the exchange match
Nov 09, 2025
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KT lost to the Rakuten Monkeys 3-6 on the third day of the tournament at Rakuten Taoyuan Stadium in Taoyuan City, Taiwan on the 9th. KT, which had a 1-1 draw in Japan's Rakuten Golden Eagleso on the 7th, finished the exchange match involving professional teams from three countries with one draw and one loss.
KT formed the starting lineup of Yoo Joon-kyu (center fielder), Lee Kang-min (striker), Kim Gun-hwi (designated hitter), Kim Junghoon Lee (left fielder), Kim Min-seok (possession), Jang Joon-won (second baseman), Kang Min-sung (first baseman), Yoon Joon-hyuk (third baseman), and Choi Dong-hee (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Kim Dong-hyun.
On this day, the two teams fought a fierce battle, chasing and chasing. KT had a good initial momentum. After one out in the top of the second inning, KT created chances for first and third bases with Kim Min-seok's walk and Jang Joon-won's hit, and Kang Min-sung's sacrifice fly led 1-0. In the top of the fourth inning, Jang Joon-won and Kang Min-sung made consecutive hits, and Choi Dong-hee's pushing walk with no outs made by Yoon Jun-hyuk's walk.
However, the Monkeys, the winner of this year's Taiwan Series, did not easily back down. In the bottom of the fourth inning, No. 7 P.S. hit an RBI timely double with two outs and third base, and in the bottom of the fifth inning, Jang Ja-hong, No. 5 at the second base with one out, hit a two-run shot to turn the game around 3-2.
KT gained strength again in the top of the sixth inning. He tied the game with his feet on the first and third bases with two outs. During the Junghoon Lee at-bat, first baseman Lee Kang-min stole to second base and drew attention, while third baseman Yoo Jun-kyu homered to tie the score 3-3.
But the Monkeys went ahead in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and runners on first base, pinch hitter Ryu Tzu-je shot a two-run shot to lead 5-3 again, and with one out and third base in the bottom of the eighth inning, Choo Sung-woo's RBI double widened the gap to 6-3.
KT manager Lee Kang-chul said after the game, `It's a pity that I couldn't run away from a good opportunity in today's game, even though I couldn't save my scoring position in the game against Japanese Rakuten.' He is a player who needs to continue to grow. He pitched well today, so I saw the possibility. Park Ji-hoon is a rookie draft first-round player in 2026, and expectations are high. He showed a good pitch as well," he said, paying attention to the possibilities of young pitchers.
Asked to compare Taiwanese and Japanese players, Lee said, `We don't know all about one game, but we've seen Japanese baseball often. I've watched a lot of Taiwanese baseball. Fans also enjoy it a lot, and hitters are still good at fast balls like I was when I was a player. I haven't met all the first-team players, but the evaluation is cautious, but there seems to be still a weak figure in the breaking ball. I felt once again that Japanese baseball is good at dealing with breaking balls."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
