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KT comes alive with mound, books sweep over Hanwha
Once the mound came alive, the wins came naturally. It was the second sweep of the season for the team, as they defeated their opponent's starting pitcher, who was chasing his 100th career win in the KBO. KT won the series behind a strong pitching performance from Wes Benjamin.
KT won 7-1 on April 24 against Hanwha in Suwon. Benjamin threw 99 pitches, allowing one run on two hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts in eight innings for his third win. He gave up a solo shot to Jonathan Peraza in the first inning, but that was the only run he allowed.
With the win, Benjamin tied his career high in strikeouts. He tied his career high for innings pitched. The previous 11-strikeout game was on July 11 last year against Gochukkium. There were three eight-inning games before this one (July 25, 2023 against Suwon LG Electronics, September 12, 2023 against Munhak SSG, and April 18, 2024 against Gochuk Kiwoom).
In the 12-hit lineup, Kang Baek-ho went 5-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI. Jang Jang-woo also went 5-for-5 with three RBIs. Chun Sung-ho was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Besides the mound and batting lineup, the difference was also in defense. While Hanwha self-destructed in the third and fourth innings with poor defense and repeated errors, KT finished the game error-free.
With the win, KT improves to 9-18-1 on the season with two straight victories.
After the game, KT manager Lee Kang-cheol said, “Benjamin pitched really well for the second game in a row to set the stage for the win. I'm grateful that he was able to go the distance and give our bullpen a break,” said KT manager Lee Kang-cheol after the game, adding that the sweep was significant. Hanwha starter Ryu Hyun-jin took the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) in five innings.
“Our bats were focused at the plate,” Lee said. Chun Sung-ho tied the game with a single, and then the batters capitalized on their opponent's mistakes to get the big inning and win the game. Jang Sung-woo also played well on offense and defense, and Kang Baek-ho's hitting stood out.”
“I would like to thank the fans for their enthusiastic support today,” he concluded.
“I'm focusing on getting on base and creating chances for the team to keep winning,” said Kang. In cases like yesterday and today, we were lucky with the opponent's defense position, which gave us more confidence,” he said.
“Personally, I've been trying to be more aggressive in the dugout to bring a good vibe to the game, both on the field and in the dugout. “We're in the bottom half of the standings, but the pitchers are getting better and better, and the hitters, including myself, are trying to stay in good hitting form. We are all working together as a team to get good results, so I hope everyone will support us.”