The Hanwha Eagles set a dubious KBO record by issuing 16 walks and two hit-by-pitches in a 6-5 loss to the Samsung Lions on Tuesday at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark. The Eagles led 5-1 entering the eighth inning, but the Lions rallied for five runs in the final two frames, scoring the tying and go-ahead runs in the ninth without a hit. The teams combined for 23 walks, another record.
A sellout crowd of 17,000 attended the game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark. Eagles starter Moon Dong-ju walked four and hit one batter in five innings, and each of the next seven pitchers issued a walk or HBP. Closer Kim Seo-hyeon was the worst offender, with six walks and one HBP in one inning.
Kim entered in the eighth with two outs and runners at first and second, protecting a 6-3 lead. He walked the first three batters faced, forcing in two runs to tie the score at 6-5. In the ninth, after a Lions single and sacrifice bunt put a runner at second, Kim walked Kim Jae-sang on four pitches and hit Park Seung-kyu with a first-pitch fastball to load the bases. He induced a force out at home on Kim Ji-chan's comebacker but then walked Choi Hyoung-woo on seven pitches for the tie and Lee Hae-seung to plate the winning run.
The Eagles' 18 walks and HBPs broke the LG Twins' record of 17 set on May 5, 1990. Their 16 walks tied the SK Wyverns' (now SSG Landers) mark from Sept. 9, 2020. The teams' combined 23 walks surpassed previous highs of 22 from Eagles-Lions on Sept. 22, 2001, and Doosan Bears-Lions on July 16, 2009.
The game lasted four hours and nine minutes, the second-longest nine-inning contest of 2026. The Eagles' longest was a 4:19, 14-11 home loss to the KT Wiz on April 1.
