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Eagles achieve dubious KBO record for most combined walks, HBPs allowed in game

Published: 15 Apr. 2026, 09:49

Hanwha Eagles reliever Kim Seo-hyeon, left, reacts after retiring a batter for the Samsung Lions during the clubs' KBO regular season game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon on April 14. [YONHAP]

The Hanwha Eagles now own a dubious Korean baseball record for the most combined walks and hit-by-pitches (HBPs) allowed in a game.

The Eagles issued 16 free passes and also plunked two batters as they lost to the Samsung Lions 6-5 in their KBO regular season meeting Tuesday night at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon.

With a sellout crowd of 17,000 on hand, the Eagles led 5-1 entering the top of the eighth inning, but the Lions rallied with five runs in the final two frames. They scored the tying run and the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth without the benefit of a hit.

The total of 18 walks and HBPs was a new record by one. The LG Twins had held the previous mark of 17, set on May 5, 1990.

The 16 walks by the Eagles tied the record for the most in a game by a team, with the SK Wyverns, now known as the SSG Landers, having also handed out 16 walks on Sept. 9, 2020.

For the Eagles, starter Moon Dong-ju walked four and hit one in five innings. And then each of the next seven pitchers that followed Moon either gave up a walk or hit a batter.

The worst culprit was closer Kim Seo-hyeon, who finished with six walks and one HBP in just one inning of work.

Kim came on with two outs and runners at first and second in the top of the eighth, hoping to protect a 6-3 lead. But Kim walked the first three batters he faced to force in two runs that made it a 6-5 game.

Then in the ninth, the Lions put a runner at second after a single and a sacrifice bunt. Kim walked Kim Jae-sang on four pitches before hitting Park Seung-kyu with a first-pitch fastball to load the bases.

Kim Seo-hyeon got the second out by fielding a comebacker by Kim Ji-chan and throwing home for the force that kept the Eagles up by a run.

But then the pitcher walked Choi Hyoung-woo on seven pitches for the tying run and walked the next batter, Lee Hae-seung, to push across the winning run for the Lions.

It was only then that Kim mercifully got the hook, but the damage had already been done.

The Lions gave up seven walks themselves. The combined total of 23 walks by these two teams was a new record.

There had been two previous games in which 22 walks were handed out in total: the Eagles-Lions on Sept. 22, 2001, and the Doosan Bears-Lions on July 16, 2009.

Tuesday's game dragged on amid the record number of walks. At four hours and nine minutes, it was the second-longest nine-inning game of 2026.

The Eagles also played the longest nine-inning affair of the season on April 1, when they lost to the KT Wiz 14-11 at home in 4:19.

Yonhap