'Utilized 14 relief pitchers over two days' — Coach Ho focused solely on Taylor, delivering the perfect pitch the team needed: "Contributing to the victory is the harvest" with a smile [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"If I could, I would have loved to throw a shutout."

Tight battles unfolded on two consecutive days. Despite deploying all available relief resources, the result was one draw and one loss. In the final game of the series where a win was essential, Curtis Taylor (31, NC Dinos) took the mound.

Taylor started against SSG Landers at the Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 7th in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game, throwing 105 pitches. He allowed 6 hits, 3 walks/strikes, recorded 6 strikeouts, and gave up 4 earned runs, securing his third win (2 losses) of the season.

It was a continuous string of grueling games. Especially in this game, where the bullpen's fatigue would likely be high. In the game on the 5th, the starting pitcher collapsed early, with eight pitchers covering eight innings. In the game on the 6th, six relief pitchers shared 3⅔ innings. Among them, five pitchers made consecutive appearances.

Before the game, Lee Ho-jun, the manager, said, "Today, we have to rely heavily on Taylor. There's no other way. It's difficult even in the middle, so we can only hope he pitches well. Because he showed a good performance in the last game, we intentionally kept the battery (catcher) as is, without switching to Lee Jung-yeol."

We hoped he could cover as many innings as possible. Manager Lee said, "We don't go long just because we want to, but we generally aim for 100 pitches. It would be great if he could handle batters quickly. If I could, a shutout win would be the best." He added, "Since he performed well last time, he must have more confidence now."

He allowed a hit to the leadoff batter Park Sung-han in the first inning and permitted consecutive stolen bases, but he struck out Choi Ji-hoon and Guillermo Heredia back-to-back, escaping a scoring crisis.

He allowed three consecutive hits in the second inning, giving up two runs, and in the third inning, he allowed a double to leadoff batter Jung Jun-jae, giving up one run. However, he continued with stable pitching thereafter.

He retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings. The NC Dinos' offense scored five runs in the fourth and added two in the fifth, allowing Taylor to take the mound in the sixth with the win condition met. Taylor started by striking out Kim Jae-hwan but walked Choi Jun-woo and Lee Ji-young. With two outs and runners on first and second, he handed the ball to Lee Jun-hyuk. A hit-by-pitch and an infield hit allowed one inherited runner to score, but Taylor maintained a comfortable lead.

He threw 43 pitches of four-seam and two-seam fastballs, with a top speed of 151 km/h, mixed with 31 sweeper pitches, 24 changeups, and 7 cutters, delivering effective pitching.

On the 30th of last month, he delivered a quality start (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs) in his first of the season with a six-inning, two-run performance against KIA Tigers. On this day as well, he showcased a pitch that brought victory to the team in a situation the team needed.

After the game, manager Lee Ho-jun praised, "Tight games continued throughout the series, and the players were highly fatigued, but they maintained their concentration until the end and secured a victory." He added, "Starting pitcher Taylor did his job well over 5⅔ innings, and the relievers who appeared afterward effectively held off difficult situations and maintained the lead."

Taylor also placed great significance on bringing a victory to the team. "I am happy that the team won first. It is a pity that I couldn't finish the inning because my control wavered against the last two batters in the sixth inning," he said. "Today, the batters scored many runs, which allowed me to focus more on the mound."

He continued, "The part that contributed to the team's victory is the biggest harvest. I will prepare well for the next game so that it can also contribute to the team's victory." He added, "I am grateful to the fans who cheered until the end despite the cold weather."

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*This content was translated by AI.