KT Wiz head coach Lee Kang-cheol is smiling after the performance of his two-hitter.
KT went 2-1 in a three-game series against the SSG Landers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League from April 13-15 at SSG Landers Field in Incheon to claim the winner-take-all series.
On all three days, the starting pitchers worked at least five innings, and on the 15th, Ko Young-pyo, who faced Oh Won-seok, pitched seven innings of seven hits (one home run) with four strikeouts and three walks to earn a Quality Start Plus (QS+) and his fifth win of the season. Even though he was battling a cold, he pitched a lot of innings responsibly.
The manager was also pleased with the performance of his starting pitcher.
“He’s not fully recovered, but when I saw him struggling in the early innings, I thought about changing him in the fifth inning,” Lee said ahead of the seventh game of the season against the Samsung Lions at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on Saturday. “He said he wanted to pitch more, so I didn’t change him, but I think he got a little better balance there. He said he wanted to pitch one more inning because he felt better, but I think those two innings were the best in terms of balance and delivery.”
In particular, KT was particularly weak against Oh Won-seok last season. Last year, Oh’s record against KT was 2-2 with a 0.91 ERA in five games and 29⅔ innings pitched. However, after finding his game plan, KT made it easy from the start and knocked him out in four innings.
The performance of Jang Jang-woo, who had hit a multi-homer game the day before, was crucial, as he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs, fulfilling his role as the starting catcher.
“He’s always been a good player, but I didn’t expect him to be so good,” said Lee Kang-cheol. “The starting point of the victory was Jang Sung-woo’s two-run double in the first inning. “We hadn’t won against Oh Won-seok before, and we couldn’t capitalize on our chances. Yesterday, it looked like it was going to be another bad day, but I’m so glad Jang Sung-woo hit it.”토토사이트
KT’s lineup against Albert Suarez was Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), Kim Min-hyuk (right field), Anthony Alford (designated hitter), Park Byung-ho (first base), Jang Sung-woo (catcher), Moon Sang-chul (left field), Hwang Jae-gyun (third base), Lee Ho-yeon (second base), and Bae Jeong-dae (center field). The starting pitcher is Wes Benjamin.
“We are a team that can only win if our starting pitching works well,” said Lee. We need Benjamin to pitch a lot of innings, show his mental maturity, and be the centerpiece of the game,” Lee said.