"So what? We won." A junior pitcher who nearly blew an 8-0 lead received a response from his seniors in just eight words [KS2 On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"So what? We won."

KT Wiz pitcher Kim Jeong-un (22), who left his mark on his career first Korea Series (KS) appearance, received unexpected comfort from his seniors. What came back to the junior, who was blaming himself for the runs allowed, was not a sharp reprimand but a single remark reminding him of the fact that they had won.

Kim Jeong-un met with reporters ahead of the second game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) against the Samsung Lions, scheduled for the 4th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, to look back on his first appearance the previous day.

KT defeated Samsung 8-7 in the first game held on the 3rd. They led 8-0 through six innings but allowed five runs in the seventh and two in the eighth, securing a narrow one-run victory. Ultimately, closer Park Young-hyun (23) had to take the mound from a bases-loaded situation with one out in the eighth inning, covering 1⅔ innings.

It was not an easy game for Kim Jeong-un either. He took the mound in place of Son Dong-hyun in the top of the seventh inning when KT led 8-3 with two outs and runners on second and third bases. However, he allowed Lee Jae-hyun to hit a two-run double that struck the left field fence directly. In the eighth inning, he gave a straight walk to leadoff hitter Park Seung-gyu before being replaced by Oh Won-seok.

His final line was ⅓ innings pitched, one hit allowed, one walk, one strikeout, and one run allowed. Kim Jeong-un said, "I should have pitched well but I couldn't, which is disappointing. If I get to go out again today, I want to show a better performance than yesterday."

In particular, the unexpected timing of his appearance was disconcerting. Kim Jeong-un said, "I thought I would come in for the next batter, but I was called up while the count was progressing, which caught me off guard," adding, "Once I was up there, I tried not to think about it and just throw my pitches, but it did not lead to a good result."

It was KT's veteran seniors who calmed down the junior. When asked what he heard after the game, Kim Jeong-un said, "I didn't pitch well, and that's a fact, but since we won the game anyway, I didn't think about it too much," adding, "My seniors told me things like, 'So what? We won.'"

Ironically, Kim Jeong-un regretted lacking tension. He explained, "I thought I would be nervous, but instead, I wasn't nervous at all and seemed unable to focus. A little bit of tension seems necessary. I believe good tension helps elevate performance further."

He added, "The manager probably brought me in thinking that since there are many left-handed batters behind, I just needed to cleanly stop one batter. The most disappointing thing is that I failed to stop that batter and handed the momentum to the opponent."

In fact, the Korea Series stage was a position that was hard to imagine for Kim Jeong-un until early in the season. After graduating from Daegu High School, Kim Jeong-un was drafted by KT with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft. He did not appear on the first division mound after pitching in five games in his rookie season up until this year. Even after serving in the Military Sports Agency (Sangmu), he was limited to seven appearances through August this year. However, after being added to the expanded roster in September, he filled the void left by Park Young-hyun, who was absent for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with an ERA of 2.50 in 17 games.

Recognizing his performance, he finally faced his first postseason stage in the Korea Series. Kim Jeong-un said, "During camp or early in the season, I honestly couldn't even imagine being in this position. I want to thank everyone who helped me get here," while emphasizing, "It is not over yet, so I will do my best in the role given to me now."

There were also scenes he had dreamed of for a long time. Kim Jeong-un revealed, "I kept imagining going up to the mound in situations with runners on base or in crisis, pitching well to shut them down, and coming back down while hearing the cheers of the fans."

He did not achieve that dream in his first appearance. However, Kim Jeong-un said, "Until yesterday, I could think it was okay because it was my first time and move on. But even if it is the first time, I should still pitch well," adding, "From now on, I will only show a better performance and do better."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original