Kiwoom Heroes vs KIA Tigers

Lede

The Kiwoom Heroes pulled off the most dramatic comeback of the KBO season on Sunday, scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the third-place KIA Tigers 8-7 at Gocheok Sky Dome. The last-placed Heroes (41-71-2) erased a 7-2 deficit in their final at-bat, matching their highest single-inning output of the season to steal the series finale.

How it unfolded

KIA starter Adam Oller kept Kiwoom off the board through the first two innings while the Tigers built a steady lead. KIA struck first in the top of the second when Kim Do-young — who is chasing a 40-home run season — launched his 38th homer of the year to put KIA up 1-0. Park Jae-hyun added a two-RBI triple in the third inning, clearing the bases to make it 2-0 KIA.

Kiwoom answered in the bottom of the third with two runs to level the score at 2-2, but KIA regained control. The Tigers plated two in the sixth and three more in the eighth, building what appeared to be a commanding 7-2 lead. Park Jae-hyun's bases-clearing triple was the standout blow.

Then came the ninth.

Kiwoom sent nine men to the plate against the KIA bullpen. The rally started with a series of hits and walks before the foreign slugger Davidson crushed a game-tying home run that sent the Gocheok crowd into a frenzy. The rally continued, and when the dust settled, Kiwoom had scored six times in the frame to complete an improbable 8-7 walk-off victory.

The turning point

The game flipped entirely in the bottom of the ninth. KIA entered the inning with a 7-2 lead and had not allowed a run since the third inning. Kiwoom's six-run explosion — their highest-scoring single inning since June — came against Tigers relievers who had been effective across the previous five frames. Davidson's game-tying homer was the decisive blow, turning a five-run deficit into a tied ballgame and setting up the walk-off.

Key performers

• Davidson (Kiwoom Heroes): The foreign slugger delivered the biggest hit of the game — the home run that tied the score at 7-7 in the ninth inning, completely swinging the momentum. His at-bat was the turning point of the entire game.

• Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers): The KIA star continued his monster season by launching his 38th home run, putting KIA ahead early. He needs just two more to reach 40 for the season.

• Park Jae-hyun (KIA Tigers): Delivered the biggest hit for KIA with a two-RBI triple that cleared the bases, part of a multi-hit performance. He drove in three runs over the course of the game.

• Kiwoom Bullpen: After the starters allowed seven runs through eight innings, the Heroes' relief corps held KIA scoreless in the top of the ninth, giving their offence the chance to complete the comeback.

By the numbers

The final box score from TheSportsDB shows Kiwoom 8-12-0, KIA 7-11-0. KIA out-hit Kiwoom through eight innings and controlled the scoreboard thanks to three multi-run innings (2nd, 6th, 8th). But a single nine-batter explosion in the ninth flipped everything. Kiwoom's 6-run ninth was their biggest inning since scoring 7 in a frame against the LG Twins in June. Both teams played error-free defence, making the decisive moment purely offensive: KIA's bullpen couldn't hold a 5-run lead, and Kiwoom's bats delivered when it mattered most. The combined 15 runs blew past the pre-game over/under of 9.

From the KBO official YouTube channel, three key moments were highlighted: Kim Do-young's 38th home run of the season, Park Jae-hyun's two-RBI triple, and Davidson's game-tying home run in the ninth.

What it means

The win improved Kiwoom's record to 41-71-2, still anchored in 10th place, but the Heroes claimed the three-game series 2-1 after dropping the opener 11-1 on August 21 and winning 3-1 on August 22. For KIA (59-49-2), it was a missed opportunity to build momentum — they remain third in the KBO standings but dropped their second consecutive game after winning 11-1 in the series opener. The Tigers' bullpen collapse will be a concern heading into their next series.

Kiwoom next face the LG Twins in Seoul on August 25, while KIA return to Gwangju to host the Doosan Bears on the same day.

Verdict

A masterpiece of chaos: the last-place Heroes refused to fold, erased a 5-run ninth-inning deficit, and handed the third-place Tigers their most painful defeat of the season. For KIA, this is the kind of loss that tests a team's resilience in the playoff race. For Kiwoom, a rare moment of joy in a lost season.