Wiz manager benches slumping slugger in do-or-die Korean Series game

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul benched his slumping slugger Ahn Hyun-min at the start of his team's first elimination game of the Korean Series on Sunday.

The Wiz are trailing the Samsung Lions 3-1 in the best-of-seven championship round, and a loss in Game 5, set for Sunday afternoon at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu, will end the Wiz's season.

The Wiz won the series opener Tuesday but have since lost three straight games.

Ahn, the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Rookie of the Year, homered in that first game, an 8-7 Wiz victory, but has since gone 1-for-12 with four strikeouts.

Ahn, normally a designated hitter, was forced to play in right field in Saturday's Game 4, with the regular right fielder Choi Won-jun dealing with a hand injury. Ahn misjudged the flight of the flyball hit by Kim Do-hwan with the bases loaded, and the misplay, which was not officially scored as an error, allowed all three runners to score as part of the Lions' six-run inning.

Jang Jin-hyuk, who homered in Saturday's game, will start in right field and bat second Sunday.

"Ahn Hyun-min is slumping at the plate, and his defense has been a problem," Lee said in his pregame media availability. "Jin-hyuk is swinging the bat better. We wanted to strengthen our outfield defense and go with the hot hand at the plate."

Lee noted that Ahn's defensive issues are nothing new but added: "In postseason play, one defensive miscue can turn the tide of an entire game. We wanted Hyun-min to make up for his defense with his bat, but he has not done much in that area, either."

Lee said two of his starting pitchers, Ko Young-pyo and So Hyeong-jun, will be available to pitch in relief Sunday, with Davis Daniel starting.

Ko, who started Game 2 last Wednesday, was in line to start Game 6 on Tuesday if the series goes that far.

"Ideally, we will win today's game without having to use Ko Young-pyo or So Hyeong-jun so much," Lee said. "Hopefully, Daniel will give us at least six innings, and we will stick to our regular bullpen usage plan."