CHANGWON, South Korea — KT Wiz starter Ko Young-pyo marked his son's first birthday with a pivotal victory on the mound, pitching six scoreless innings against the NC Dinos to secure a 3-0 win in Game 3 of the Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO) second-round postseason on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ko's performance was crucial in keeping the Wiz's season alive after they had lost the first two games of the series. The victory, driven by Ko’s strategic pitching, has given the Wiz a chance to even the series in Game 4 and bring it back to their home field in Suwon.
Ko, who is known for inducing groundballs, effectively utilized his arsenal of changeups and fastballs to record 10 groundouts out of 18, alongside five strikeouts and only two walks. He kept the Dinos' hitters off balance, giving up just three singles throughout his outing.
Setting an aggressive tone early, Ko struck out the first two batters with his signature changeups. He successfully navigated through minor threats, including a one-out walk and a couple of singles, by executing strategic plays like a 5-4-3 double play and suppressing the Dinos' attempts to gain momentum.
The Dinos' errors in the sixth inning, highlighted by a failed steal attempt and successive strikeouts, further underlined Ko's dominance on the mound. Over 105 pitches, he displayed a diverse mix, with changeups being the most frequent, followed by fastballs that, despite their moderate speed, were effective in disrupting the hitters' timing.
This outing marked Ko's return since his last appearance in the regular season on October 3. Ko spoke of his preparation strategy, emphasizing rest and a focused approach to counter the hitters’ strategies, differing from his regular-season tactics to induce a more challenging game for the Dinos.
Ko's son, Cha-min, who was born on November 2, 2022, unwittingly became a source of inspiration for his father's performance, as Ko strived to excel for his son’s birthday. Ko expressed how his son's presence had a profound positive impact on his game and shared his determination to pitch exceptionally on this special day.
While the young Cha-min may not yet comprehend his father's profession, Ko hopes that as his son grows older, he will appreciate the significance of his father's achievement on his birthday — a heartfelt demonstration of commitment to both his family and his team.