Just six outs from ending its 12-year wait... KT’s eight-run nightmare in 11⁄3 innings hastens Samsung’s V9 coronation

[Financial News] The Lions’ coronation, two years in the making, is finally within sight. As the starting rotation that regular-season leaders kt wiz took pride in crumbles amid a chain collapse of the infield defense they trusted, the Samsung Lions are now just six outs away from their first Korean Series title since 2014—their ninth overall (V9).
In Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO postseason Korean Series (KS, a best-of-seven), held on the 8th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, kt wiz completely collapsed as starting pitcher Davis Daniel was pulled early and trusted reliever Ko Young-pyo suffered a disastrous outing in which he allowed eight runs.
Daniel, kt wiz’s starter, had to win to keep the team’s hopes alive, but he succumbed to the Samsung lineup’s relentless hitting. After showing the poise of an ace with six innings and three runs allowed in Game 1, Daniel pitched two scoreless innings to start the day. But with one out in the bottom of the third, Kim Ji-chan drew a walk and Koo Ja-wook hit an RBI double to tie the game. Daniel then gave up a go-ahead hit to Lewin Díaz and quickly lost his composure. After allowing consecutive hits to Choi Hyoung-woo and Kim Young-woong, he left the mound having allowed three runs on five hits and striking out four over three innings.

With kt wiz in a bind, the bench made the bold move of bringing in homegrown ace Ko Young-pyo, who had started Game 2, in relief from the fourth inning. After showing his dominance by retiring the side in order on just eight pitches in the fourth, Ko endured a nightmare in the bottom of the fifth amid a ghastly string of errors by the defense.
The disaster began when shortstop Kwon Dong-jin misplayed an ordinary grounder by the leadoff batter, Park Seung-kyu, in the bottom of the fifth. After an error put a runner on, Ko gave up a hit to Koo Ja-wook, then allowed an RBI single to Choi Hyoung-woo with one out and runners on first and second.
The shaky defense did not stop there. Kim Young-woong’s next hit struck the second baseman’s glove and bounced into the outfield, turning into an infield single and bringing in another run. After Ko gave up an RBI double to Lee Jae-hyeon, he intentionally walked Ryu Ji-hyuk to try for a double play. But trusted shortstop Kwon Dong-jin made a glaring, boneheaded error, once again failing to handle the second baseman’s throw on Kang Min-ho’s grounder. In the meantime, both runners scored.

With no help from the defense and his composure gone, Ko Young-pyo eventually gave up a bases-clearing RBI hit to Kim Ji-chan that split the gap in right-center, forcing him off the mound. A wild pitch by Son Dong-hyun, who came on after him, added to the damage, leaving Ko with a final line of 11⁄3 innings, five hits and eight runs allowed. Just two of those runs were charged as earned, underscoring how disastrously kt wiz’s infield defense collapsed that day.
The Samsung Lions, meanwhile, erupted with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to seize control of the game, and the stadium was swept up in celebration. With their defense and pitching working in perfect harmony to protect the lead, the Lions are now just two innings—six outs—away from lifting their ninth Korean Series trophy, 12 years after their last title.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter