'Exactly 90 pitches, 1st and 2nd base crisis' Gu Chang-mo's sense of responsibility: "One pitch was enough. 'The bullpen was overburdened; I had to take it on.'"

*This content was translated by AI.

"Today, Gu Chang-mo will not exceed 90 pitches."

Lee Ho-jun (50), manager of the NC Dinos, said this ahead of the game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 10th. Starting pitcher Gu Chang-mo (29) had previously thrown 101 pitches in two appearances (May 29 against the Lotte Giants) and 111 pitches (June 4 against the Samsung Lions), so the comment was meant to indicate a pitch count adjustment.

Gu Chang-mo had pitched scoreless through five innings. In the bottom of the 6th, with a 2-0 lead and two outs, he allowed consecutive hits to Lee Hyung-jong and Kim Woong-bin, putting himself in a 1st and 2nd base crisis. At that moment, his pitch count was exactly the '90 pitches' mentioned by manager Lee Ho-jun. NC pitching coach Lee Yong-hoon visited the mound to speak with Gu Chang-mo. There was no substitution. Gu Chang-mo recorded infielder Im Ji-yeol on a 3rd base grounder on the first pitch and completed his mission for the day without allowing a run.

Over six innings, he allowed six hits, issued no walks, and recorded six strikeouts while remaining scoreless. His pitch count was 91. This marked his third consecutive quality start (six or more innings with three or fewer earned runs), and the team won 4-2, securing their sixth win (two losses) of the season.

Notably, against Kiwoom, he recorded three consecutive wins following his April 23 performance (six innings, one run allowed) and May 16 performance (seven innings, one run allowed), posting an ERA of 0.95 (19 innings, two earned runs). Gu Chang-mo has secured all three of NC's wins (five losses) against Kiwoom this season.

After the game, Gu Chang-mo said, "After five innings, my pitch count was nearly 80, so I told the team I would handle the 6th. With the middle relievers currently overburdened, I just stepped up and took the mound. Although the crisis made me a bit nervous, I'm glad I held them off and came down safely," revealing the sense of responsibility befitting an ace.

Asked about why he has been particularly strong against Kiwoom this season, he replied, "I just prepared according to my routine for every game, and the results turned out well. Also, in the three-game series against Kiwoom, the team was ahead in tough games, and when it was my turn to pitch, I thought I needed to regain the momentum. I'm truly glad the wins continued." As he said, NC lost to Kiwoom 1-2 and 0-3 on April 21 and 22, respectively, and 1-4 on May 15, before Gu Chang-mo took the mound and secured victories.

Gu Chang-mo, who had previously left regrets due to frequent injuries, vowed, "My goal is to be with the team until the end of the season, so I will continue to maintain my spot in the rotation. Since the team is managing me well, I will prepare even better."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.