Perhaps the long break was toxic, as KT Wiz, the 2nd place team in the regular season, lost in the first game of the playoffs.
KT lost 5-9 in the first game against NC Dinos of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Playoffs held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 30th.
The probability of the team winning the first game of the past KBO playoffs (based on best-of-five series, excluding the two major leagues in 1999-2000, 1995, 2008, and 2021) reaching the Korean Series is 78.1% (25/32). That’s how important the first game of the series was for both NC and KT.
KT, which had three weeks of time to reorganize after the end of the regular season, had more time to rest than NC, but was unable to play the game as desired from the beginning of the game.
Starting pitcher William Cuevas gave up the first run in the top of the first inning with a sacrifice fly to Jason Martin with one out and runners on second and third base, and even allowed an additional run in the top of the second inning on Oh Young-soo’s solo shot. Contrary to expectations that it would be a tight pitching battle, NC took the lead early on.
But this was just the beginning. Third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun missed leadoff hitter Park Min-woo’s fly ball in the top of the third inning, allowing Cuevas to get on base, and Cuevas, who was in danger of reaching first base with no outs, was hit by Park Geon-woo with an RBI double. Cuevas’ third goal.
Cuevas gave up one more point with Kwon Hee-dong’s RBI single and timely hit after Martin’s ground ball. Considering that the NC starter was Eric Peddie, it seemed that it would not be easy for KT to overcome the 4-point gap.
Cuevas did not make it past the fourth inning. In the top of the 4th inning, when the team was trailing 1-4, leadoff hitter Kim Hyeong-jun walked, and when Kim Joo-won attempted a bunt, he made a mistake throwing to second base, causing a crisis. With no outs on first and second base, Son A-seop’s 1 RBI and timely hit led to NC’s victory. I had to look at the score. In the end, Eom Sang-baek took over the mound from first and third base with no outs. As the succession runner came home, Cuevas’ number of runs increased. The final performance was 3 innings, 6 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 7 runs (4 earned).
After the game tilted toward NC, KT checked the condition of the bullpen pitchers. Starting with Eom Sang-baek (⅓ inning), Lee Sang-dong (⅔ inning), Son Dong-hyun (1 inning), Ju-won (1 inning), Park Young-hyun (1 inning), Kim Young-hyun (1 inning), and Kim Min (1 inning) can be used. took them all out. Except for Ko Young-pyo and Wes Benjamin, who were classified as non-players, and closers Kim Jae-yoon and Bae Je-seong, all pitchers were on the mound.
Not only starter Cuevas but also the batters did not do their job. Table setters Kim Sang-soo and Hwang Jae-gyun were silent with no hits in 4 at-bats, and Anthony Alford, who showed a strong performance with 5 hits in 8 at-bats, including 2 home runs in the match against Peddy this season, was also silent with 0-hits in 4 at-bats. KT had to take comfort in Bae Jeong-dae’s solo shot in the bottom of the 3rd inning and Bae Jeong-dae’s grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning.
After the game, KT coach Lee Kang-cheol expressed his thoughts on the end of the first game, saying, “The opposing team put up a good starting pitcher, and our team lost the lead in the starting battle early in the game. I think we handed the game over because we gave up the atmosphere.” .
Coach Lee continued, “(Regarding the use of Pilseungjo once in a while), I thought I would try to block them as much as possible. There were a lot of runs lost in the top of the 4th inning. I thought I could drag the game into the second half of the game if I didn’t score, so I hired good pitchers and developed a sense of the game. “I thought about it and wrote a sure-win team,” he said, adding, “I felt that Eom Sang-baek’s condition was not improving, so I quickly replaced the pitcher.”
A war of nerves broke out during the game. This is because with one out in the bottom of the 5th inning, coach Lee Kang-cheol appealed something to NC coach Kang In-kwon, who came to the ground to stop the opposing starter, Peddie, after he protested the ball decision. Manager Lee said of the situation, “The manager crossed the line and the pitching coach came out and said the pitcher had to be replaced, but he said he came out to stop the umpire regardless of the pitcher, so the situation was resolved.”
Now, KT puts behind the regret of defeat and looks to victory in the second game. Manager Lee Kang-cheol pledged to do well, saying, “After the bottom of the 5th inning, there were a few hits, and I think it’s encouraging that the game ended on a good note with a bases-loaded grand slam at the end.”
Meanwhile, in the second game held on the 31st, Wes Benjamin will start as expected.
Q&A with director Lee Kang-cheol.
▲Overall review of the game.
-NC had a good starting pitcher, and our team lost the lead in the starting fight early in the game. We lost the game because we gave up the atmosphere.
▲The mood changed with the final home run.
-I think it’s encouraging that there were a few hits after the bottom of the 5th inning, and Bae Jeong-dae’s grand slam at the end ended the game on a good note.
▲The reason why they put in the sure-win team once in a while even though the score gap was large.
-I thought I would block it as much as possible. It was big that we allowed a run in the top of the 4th inning. Otherwise, I used good pitchers because I thought it would go until the end of the game, and I used a sure-win team because I thought about my sense of the game.메이저사이트
▲The reason why Eom Sang-baek was quickly replaced.
-I felt that Eom Sang-baek’s condition was not improving, so I quickly replaced the pitcher.
▲What do you think is the cause of Cuevas’ slump?
-It was a bit disappointing that I threw with too much force in the first inning. I think it was because I was trying to throw too well.
▲If we look back at the appeal situation in the bottom of the 5th inning.
– Manager Kang In-kwon crossed the line, and the pitching coach came out, so he said he had to replace the pitcher. (The umpires) said they had come to stop the umpire regardless of the pitcher, so the situation was resolved.
▲The starting pitcher for Game 2 is:
-This is Benjamin.