'4G 20 Runs Allowed → 12 Days Rest' Koo Chang-mo Returns with Perfect 7-Inning Scoreless Performance, "There's Fun in Growing" — The Ace Is Still Developing

*This content was translated by AI.

Koo Chang-mo (29, NC Dinos), who had recently fallen into a sharp slump, returned with a flawless performance.

On the 12th, Koo started against KT Wiz in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game at Changwon NC Park, throwing 98 pitches over 7 innings and allowing just 2 hits, 4 walks/strikes, and recording 5 strikeouts in a scoreless outing.

After giving up 20 runs and suffering two losses in his last four games, Koo secured his ninth win (with four losses) of the season with a quality start (six or more innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs allowed) over five outings. His ERA dropped from 4.19 to 3.94.

Although he issued many walks and hit-by-pitches today, there was a clear difference from recent games where he had surrendered numerous hits due to poor execution.

Koo began by striking out Choi Won-jun and retired the side in order in the first inning. He also recorded another three-up, three-down frame in the second. In the third, with one out, he walked Jo Dae-hyun but induced a double play from Jang Jun-won, ending the inning after facing just three batters.

The NC Dinos lineup added momentum in the bottom of the third. Park Si-won crushed So Hyoung-jun's cutter over the right-field fence for a go-ahead solo home run.

Koo, who had retired four batters in order in the fourth, faced trouble again in the fifth. He allowed a hit to Kim Min-hyeok as the first batter of the inning, then got Kim Sang-soo and Heo Kyung-min to ground out. What seemed like an easy inning ended differently when Jo Dae-hyun latched onto the first pitch for a hit, followed by Jang Jun-won drawing a walk — creating a bases-loaded, two-out crisis. In a situation where even a single could have given KT the lead, Koo's ability shone brightly.

His first pitch was a slider that drifted outside for a ball, but the second hung low on the outer corner and induced a foul tip. The third followed the same path as the first. However, on the fourth pitch, he again attacked the lower outer corner to secure a strike, then threw the fifth to the same location, resulting in a looking strikeout to end the inning. It was a difficult zone for Choi Won-jun to swing at consistently.

Although Koo threw 25 pitches in the fifth, his total remained at just 71. He returned in the sixth, allowing a straight fastball walk to Ahn Hyun-min with one out but quickly regained composure and effectively subdued the remaining batters. He also appeared in the seventh, retiring the side in order once more.

His fastest pitch today reached 147 km/h. Of his 47 first-pitch strikes, he threw 33 as strikes. He mixed in 26 sliders, 12 cutters, 9 forkballs, and 4 curveballs to confuse KT's batters.

Kim Jin-ho, who entered in the top of the eighth, allowed a double to Ryu Hyun-jin and a walk to Choi Won-jun but cleanly retired the next three batters to maintain the lead. In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs, Kim Joo-won's hit was followed by consecutive hits from Choi Jung-won and Park Min-woo, adding one run each and extending NC's lead to 3-0. In the top of the ninth, Jeon Sa-min entered and retired the side in order to preserve the 3-0 victory.

After the game, manager Lee Ho-jun praised Koo: "Koo delivered a perfect performance against a strong opposing lineup and led his team to victory. In this close contest, our players maintained their focus until the end and executed well."

Koo also shared his thoughts: "Although the results in my recent appearances weren't good, I felt my pitching feel itself wasn't bad. We discussed extensively before the game how to handle the catchers and batters, especially since I hadn't had favorable results against KT for some time, so I was very determined to make up for it today."

He entered the game full of confidence. Koo said: "I felt my fastball had good velocity even during bullpen warm-ups, and in the game, my fastball was working well, allowing me to effectively use other pitches. Although I tend to be conservative about making changes, as the level of batters in the league has improved, I'm studying more, breaking out of old patterns, and finding new enjoyment in this process of growth."

Due to the cancellation of extended heatwave games, NC Dinos had a break of eight games over nine days. Koo made his first appearance since the 30th against KT (five innings, six runs allowed, loss) — a span of 13 days. While many questioned whether his recent slump was due to physical fatigue, he delivered an overwhelming performance after ample rest, delighting home fans.

Koo expressed satisfaction: "During the brief interruption in games, I focused on recovery and wanted to return to face fans in good form. I'm happy we could greet them with a victory."

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*This content was translated by AI.