KT Wiz has won three straight games in dramatic fashion. The victory was made even more precious by the mound. There is finally hope of escaping last place.
KT won 4-1 against the Samsung Lions in Daegu on the 26th. It was their third straight win. They played the Kiwoom Heroes at home in Suwon on the 24th and 25th of this month for two consecutive days. They finished the three-game midweek series against Kiwoom with a 2-1 victory in the ‘Winning Series’. In particular, the team defeated the opposing ‘one-two punch’ Ahn Woo-jin and Eric Yokishi in succession.
The momentum carried KT into the first game of the weekend series against Samsung. From the start of the series, KT was plagued by injuries to key players. The back-to-back losses dampened the team’s mood. The team’s ranking went from third in mid-April to ninth in late April and 10th in early May.
However, thanks to their recent three-game winning streak, they are now tied for ninth place with the Hanwha Eagles. They’re not out of the race yet, but they’ve laid the groundwork for an escape. KT’s record in the last 10 games is 6-4, which is good for second place.안전놀이터
The offence has been stabilised by pitching. During the three-game winning streak, the team has only given up a total of two runs. Against Kiwoom on the 24th, starter Ko Young-pyo pitched an ‘ace’ performance with seven scoreless innings to secure a complete game victory over Ahn Woo-jin. Go’s seven innings allowed KT to deploy its most ideal pitching combination of Park Young-hyun and Kim Jae-yoon to close out the game cleanly.
The momentum continued. The next day, Uhm Sang-baek tossed six shutout innings, and Park Young-hyun and Kim Jae-yoon teamed up for a second straight day of tailgate finishes. Young-hyun Park threw a perfect second inning with 11 pitches. On the 26th, Choi Yeo-seong did his job as a starter with 5⅓ innings of one run (unearned) and the bullpen took care of the rest. The middle relievers of Lee Jong-ju, Kim Min-soo, Son Dong-hyun, Park Young-hyun and Kim Jae-yoon combined for 3⅔ scoreless innings. The team has won four of its last five games, which is a testament to its recent steady form.
KT, which has been riddled with injuries, recently acquired Lee Ho-yeon in a trade to try and turn things around. The winning streak has given them a much-needed breather.
In various surveys leading up to the start of the season, KT was always a favourite to finish in the top five. Their current form is rather unexpected. With a solid mound, can KT get back to its original line-up, and has the real rebound begun ahead of June? With so many games already lost, the future is more important.