'145km bang' 43-year-old Ko Hyo-joon's performance, 'New Team' Ulsan Wales won 6 consecutive games → 1st place alone

*This content was translated by AI.

43-year-old veteran pitcher Ko Hyo-joon pitched two consecutive scoreless games, and Ulsan Wales jumped to the lone lead with six consecutive wins.

Ulsan Wales won 14-2 in an away game against the Samsung Lions at Gyeongsan Ball Park on the 2nd in the 2026 KBO Futures League.

As a result, SSG, which has won six consecutive games since its three consecutive losses in the early days of the opening, jumped to the first place in the Southern League with a winning rate of 0.667, beating Lotte Giants (0.637).

On the mound, starter Okada blocked the opponent's batting line with two runs in five innings, and effectively overcame the crisis with a fastball of up to 150km/h. The victory earned Okada its second win of the season. Since then, the bullpen, which leads to Nam-ho, Kim Joon-woo, Ko Hyo-joon and Lee Sang-yeon, has finished the game neatly without allowing additional runs. In particular, Ko Hyo-joon, who joined on the 18th of last month, showed a powerful pitch with a maximum speed of 145km.

Ko Hyo-joon, who started his professional career with the Lotte Giants in 2002, went through the SK Wyverns (SSG Landers' predecessor), KIA Tigers, Lotte, LG Twins, SSG and Doosan Bears, recording 49 wins and 55 losses, 65 holds, 4 saves and an ERA of 5.31 in 646 games.

Last year, he was released after taking the mound in 45 games at Doosan, recording 2-1 with 9 holds and ERA 6.86, but once again he got an opportunity to extend his active career at Ulsan Wales and pitched scoreless once again following his first appearance.

The batters overwhelmed the opponent's mound with 13 hits. In particular, Ye Jin-won and Choi Bo-sung led the attack by swinging three hits, and Bae Sang-kwon hit a wedge two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to end the game. In defense, Park Min-seok's good defense stood out.

After the game, manager Jang Won-jin said, "After three consecutive losses in the opening series, the players quickly picked up the atmosphere. The current six consecutive wins are the result of the players' concentration and teamwork, he said. "He performed his role perfectly from the starting pitcher to the bullpen. This game management should continue, he stressed.

Finally, "I will not be satisfied with the results now and continue to prepare. I will repay Ulsan citizens with better performance," he said, renewing his determination. "It's still a long season, but I'll continue the current trend."

Ulsan Wales, which quickly shook off its slump in the early days of the opening, continues its upward trend based on the perfect harmony of pitching and hitting, emerging as a new typhoon in the league game.

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*This content was translated by AI.