KT swept a three-game series from Doosan behind the masterful pitching of Ko Young-pyo. Ko became the third consecutive 10-win pitcher with a Quality Start Plus in five games.
KT Wiz won the 12th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Doosan Bears 3-1 on Saturday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.
KT avenged a loss the day before and clinched the third-place battle with Doosan with a sweep. The team has 49 wins, two draws, and 44 losses on the season. They also hold a six-game head-to-head advantage with one win, one draw, and five losses. Doosan, on the other hand, fell to 47 wins, one draw and 44 losses.
The home team lined up in the following order: Jung Soo-bin (center field), Kim Jae-ho (shortstop), Jose Rojas (right field), Kim Jae-hwan (left field), Kim In-tae (designated hitter), Yang Seok-hwan (first base), Kang Seung-ho (second base), Jang Seung-hyun (catcher), and Heo Kyung-min (third base). The starting catcher, Yang, developed tonsillitis followed by left flank pain and was scheduled for a medical checkup on July 7.
KT faced Kim Min-hyuk (right fielder), Lee Ho-yeon (second baseman), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Park Byung-ho (designated hitter), Anthony Alford (left fielder), Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), Kim Jun-tae (catcher), Oh Yun-seok (first baseman), and Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder).
KT came out strong against Doosan starter Kwak Bin in the first inning. After the tablesetters Kim Min-hyuk and Lee Ho-yeon put runners on first and second with a walk and a hit, Hwang Jae-gyun broke the 0-0 tie with a single up the middle. Park Byung-ho followed with a single to right field and Alford reached on a fielder’s choice to score Lee from third. However, a foiled second and third base opportunity was nullified when Kim Sang-soo grounded out to the first baseman.
From the second inning, it was a tense pitching battle between Kwak Bin and KT starter Ko Young-pyo. KT was most disappointed in the fifth inning. Oh Yoon-seok and Choi Jae-dae singled and Lee Ho-yeon walked to load the bases, but Hwang Jae-gyun struck out on a full count.
Doosan also failed to score in the second and third innings, with runners on first and second and no outs in the fifth. The first run came in the sixth inning when they trailed 0-2. Rojas led off with a double and advanced to third on Kim Jae-hwan’s single and a wild pitch.
KT did not stand still. In the top of the seventh inning, Choi Jae-dae hit a double that just missed the third baseman’s height and moved to third on a walk by pitcher Kwak Bin. Kim Min-hyuk, who was pinch-hitting, followed with a sacrifice fly to the foul territory in left field.
Doosan had a chance to rally in the seventh inning with Kang Seung-ho walking and Heo Kyung-min singling to right, but Jung Soo-bin ended the inning with a fly out to left field.
KT starter Ko Young-pyo pitched seven innings of six-hit ball with one walk, five strikeouts and one earned run, giving the club its first 10-win season in three years. It was his 10th straight quality start and fifth straight quality start plus. He was followed by Park Young-hyun and Kim Jae-yoon, the latter of whom recorded his 19th save of the season. At the plate, Choi Jae-dae had a multi-hit game and Hwang Jae-gyun had the game-winning hit.스포츠토토
On the other hand, Doosan starter Kwak Bin suffered his fourth loss of the season (9 wins) as the bats were silenced despite giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings.
KT will have one day off before starting a three-game midweek series at home against Hanwha on Aug. 8. Doosan welcomes Samseong at home.