There is no longer any place to retreat. KT Wiz must catch Game 3 of the Korean Series.
KT will play the 3rd game of the Korean Series (4 wins out of 7) against the LG Twins in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO Postseason’ to be held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 10th. This is a game that KT must win. 안전놀이터
KT won the first game (3-2 wins), but lost the second game (4-5 losses), balancing the series record at 1 win and 1 loss.
In order to change the atmosphere and take one step closer to winning the championship
ace and ‘LG Killer’ Wes Benjamin was announced as the starting pitcher.
Benjamin is the team’s ace. His performance this year was 29 games, 15 wins, 6 losses, 160 innings, an ERA of 3.54, 157 strikeouts, and a WHIP (on-base percentage allowed per inning) of 1.21. Against LG
he showed off his power as a natural enemy with 4 wins in 5 games this season and an average ERA of 0.84 in 32⅓ innings.
Expectations are growing that he will win as he is a foreign pitcher who is highly anticipated by the team.
On the other hand, if Benjamin collapses and loses the third game, KT will walk a thorny path. This is because Game 4 is operated as a bullpen day.
The starting pitcher is where we can be confident that KT is clearly ahead of LG. They are building the league’s strongest starting lineup, including foreign pitchers William Cuevas and Benjamin, and Ko Young-pyo, one of Korea’s best starting pitchers. This is also what LG is most wary of.
In fact, LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said at the Korean Series Media Day, “KT definitely had difficulties this year, but based on coach Lee’s leadership, the starting lineup was complete. Also, the fact that we overcame difficulties and made it this far thanks to the strength of our starting team is our biggest strength. If you can’t attack the opponent’s starters, the game won’t be easy. “The biggest point of attack is how to attack the starters,” he said, praising KT’s solid starting lineup while also being cautious.
The problem is that this solid starting lineup cannot be used in Game 4. If Ko Young-pyo, who started Game 1, starts Game 4, he will need more rest as he can only rest for three days. Cuevas, who started in Game 2, also has difficulty playing, and the same goes for Benjamin, the starting pitcher in Game 3. In the end, in Game 4, KT cannot use its solid starting lineup, which is its biggest advantage.
As the starting pitcher plays a large role in baseball, the inability to utilize a clear ace ultimately lowers the probability of victory. This means that if KT heads to the 4th game after giving up the 3rd game, they will have no choice but to face an even tougher match. The third game was a matter of life and death.
The records also speak of this. In the Korean Series, the team that wins the second game with 1 win and 1 loss (including a draw) has an 85% (17/20) chance of winning. We have to give everything in Game 3.
For this reason, although the series record is 1 win and 1 loss, KT has no place to retreat anymore. In the journey to regain the Korean Series championship title for the first time in two years, will KT be able to achieve the desired result in Game 3, which may be a watershed?