Kiwoom Heroes catcher Kim Jae-hyun hits walk-off grand slam to beat KIA Tigers
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Kiwoom Heroes catcher Kim Jae-hyun hit a walk-off grand slam to defeat the KIA Tigers 8-7.
- The dramatic home run came in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and two outs.
- Kim expressed disbelief at his game-winning hit, stating he couldn't replicate it if asked again.
Kiwoom Heroes catcher Kim Jae-hyun became the hero of the final game of a weekend series against the KIA Tigers, hitting a dramatic walk-off grand slam to secure an 8-7 victory. The pivotal moment occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, as Kim connected with a pitch to send the ball soaring for a game-ending home run.
This clutch hit not only clinched the win for the Heroes in a tightly contested match but also marked Kim's eighth career home run. The catcher, who is 33 years old, expressed his astonishment at his own performance, admitting he was unsure how he managed to hit such a crucial home run. He even stated that he wouldn't be able to repeat the feat if given another chance.
The game was part of the '2026 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' and saw the Kiwoom Heroes split the weekend series with the KIA Tigers, with this final game providing a thrilling conclusion. Before Kim's heroic at-bat, the Heroes had been trailing and facing a likely loss in the final game of the three-game series.
I don't know how I hit it. I couldn't hit it again if you asked me to.
Originally published by Chosun Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.