A Half-Game Separates the Top Teams in a Nail-Biting Race for First Place... Samsung Wins with Two Grand Slams, but KT Holds on to the Lead

[Financial News] The battle for the top spot is growing hotter by the day.
First-place KT Wiz and second-place Samsung Lions, both chasing the regular-season title, each picked up a win and kept the pressure on in a tense race separated by just 0.5 games.
KT Wiz earned a thrilling 5-4 comeback win over the Doosan Bears in a home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 26th in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, thanks to Kim Hyun-soo's dramatic walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.
The game was decided in the final at-bat of the ninth inning. Trailing 3-4, KT opened the frame with a single by Woo Jun-gyu and a walk by Jang Jin-hyuk to load the bases with one out. On Choi Won-joon's infield grounder, a throwing error by the opposing first baseman created a bases-loaded chance. Veteran Kim Hyun-soo then delivered a walk-off hit to right field off Doosan closer Lee Young-ha, giving his team a valuable victory.
KT, which avenged its 1-3 loss to Doosan the previous day, improved to 65 wins, 3 draws and 42 losses on the season and firmly held onto first place in the razor-thin race.
At the same time at Gocheok Sky Dome, the Samsung Lions' offense erupted. Samsung blasted two grand slams and routed the home team Kiwoom Heroes 12-2 to extend its winning streak to three games.
Samsung seized control early when cleanup hitter Choi Hyoung-woo launched a first-inning grand slam over the center-field wall with the bases loaded and no outs. At 42 years, 8 months and 10 days old, Choi became the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, breaking the previous record of 41 years, 3 months and 29 days set by Felix Jose.


Then in the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, Kim Young-woong added another grand slam to right-center field, effectively putting the game out of reach. It was the fourth time in Samsung's history that the team had hit two grand slams in one game, and the 21st such feat in KBO League history. Samsung starter Choi Won-tae earned his fifth win of the season with a quality start, allowing two runs over six innings while receiving plenty of run support.
Although Samsung kept up the chase with three straight wins, KT answered with its own dramatic walk-off victory, leaving the gap between the two teams unchanged at 0.5 games.
As the postseason approaches, the increasingly fierce battle between KT and Samsung for first place is emerging as one of the biggest highlights of the 2026 KBO League season, drawing the attention of baseball fans.


[email protected] Jung Sang-il Reporter