KT's Moon Sang-cheol celebrates after hitting the winning run with two outs and runners on first and second in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the Baseball Korea Series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Sunday.

It was Moon Sang-chul who made KT cry and smile.

Regular-season runner-up KT took the lead in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the Korean Series (KS) against top-ranked LG with a timely double by Moon Sang-chul. KT won a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the visiting team on Sunday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. Moon Sang-cheol, who failed to hit a bunt in his first at-bat to set up a triple, hit the game-winning hit in the top of the ninth inning to give his team a valuable victory.

Excluding the 1982 KS, where the first game ended in a draw, the winner of the first game has come out on top 29 times in the 39 previous best-of-seven KSs. KT, which is trying to win its first KS title in two years, has a comfortable 74.4 percent chance.

KT got off to a fresh start in the top of the first inning, with leadoff hitter Kim Sang-soo reaching base. Kim singled up the middle and then stole second base on the first pitch of Hwang Jae-gyun's at-bat. KT manager Lee Kang-cheol's judgment shone through as LG, the regular-season stolen base leader, took advantage. A throwing error by LG catcher Park Dong-won in the stealing process allowed Kim Sang-soo to reach third base, and Hwang Jae-gyun's grounder to shortstop allowed Kim to score the go-ahead run.

KT manager Lee Kang-cheol gives instructions as he looks at the field during the first game of the 2023 Baseball Korea Series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday.

But KT's lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the first inning, second baseman Park Kyung-soo misplayed a grounder by LG Austin at third base, and shortstop Kim Sang-soo dropped the throw, allowing third baseman Park Hae-min to score. A double play should have ended the inning, but a crisis ensued. After Oh Ji-hwan singled and LG had the bases loaded, Moon Bo-kyung hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Kim Hyun-soo from third base.

In the top of the second inning, cold water was poured on the game. KT had runners on first and second with no outs when Jang Jang-woo reached on a fielding error and then Choi Jae-dae singled to left. It looked like they had a chance to break the tie and take the lead.

However, a send bunt to the next batter, Moon Sang-chul, proved to be poison. LG catcher Park Dong-won caught the bunt short in front of him and threw to third base, forcing out Jang Jang-woo at second base. He then threw out pinch-hitter Moon Sang-chul.

The inning quickly ended when Choi Jae-dae, who stepped on second base, was caught in a rundown and tagged out. It was the second triple in KS's history, following a triple by Yang Jun-hyuk in the first inning of Game 7 against Samsung in 2004. 스포츠토토맨