“ERA of 9.64 without Park Young-hyun” — Is this the reality of the bullpen for a KT team aiming for the championship… Can they win the Korea Series like this?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Can the Korea Series (KS) be won with just one person, Park Young-hyun (23)? The KT Wiz deployed an all-out strategy by sending their closer to the mound in the eighth inning for two consecutive games, yet they failed to resolve their concerns regarding the back end of the bullpen. The bullpen ERA excluding Park Young-hyun is a staggering 9.64.

On the 4th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, KT lost 2-3 to the Samsung Lions in Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) after a close contest that went into extra innings, falling short in the 12th inning. After winning Game 1 the previous day with an 8-7 victory, KT left home with a 1-1 record and headed to Daegu for the road series.

Starting pitcher Go Yeong-pyo did his job, pitching seven innings while allowing seven hits, walking no one, striking out four, and giving up one run. Closer Park Young-hyun also took the mound in the eighth inning with one out for the second consecutive day, holding on for 1⅔ innings while allowing two hits, walking no one, striking out one, and giving up no runs. After throwing 22 pitches the previous day, he threw 23 pitches this time, handling a total of 45 pitches across the two games.

The problem arose after Park Young-hyun left the game. Sugiimoto Kouki, who entered in the top of the 10th inning of extra innings, allowed a hit-by-pitch to leadoff batter Kim Ji-chan. Following Kim Seong-yoon’s sacrifice bunt and an automatic intentional walk to Koo Ja-wook, with two outs and runners on first and second, Jeon Yong-ju gave up a base-hit to Lewin Diaz that scored a run, allowing the Samsung Lions to take a 2-1 lead.

KT tied the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a bases-loaded walk to Kim Hyun-soo, but collapsed again in the top of the 12th inning of extra innings. With one out and runners on first and second, right fielder Oh Kyu-min caught Lee Jae-hyun’s grounder and threw to second base to get the lead runner. However, second baseman Oh Yun-seok’s throw to first base was inaccurate, and while Kim Hyun-soo also failed to catch the ball properly, Diaz scored the winning run.

The final run allowed was an unearned run resulting from a defensive error. However, the fact that they repeatedly allowed runners on base and faced crises after Park Young-hyun left the game made it impossible to erase concerns about the bullpen’s instability. When combining the records from both days, the problem becomes even clearer. Park Young-hyun recorded 3⅓ innings pitched, two hits allowed, no walks, four strikeouts, and no runs allowed in Games 1 and 2, posting an ERA of 0.00. In contrast, KT’s relief corps excluding Park Young-hyun gave up six runs (five earned) over 4⅔ innings, resulting in an ERA of 9.64.

While Park Young-hyun alone recorded 10 outs, the remaining bullpen pitchers combined for only 14 outs. The same issue was revealed in Game 1 the previous day as well. KT led 8-0 through six innings, but shook up dramatically after starting pitcher Daniel Davis allowed a two-run home run to Koo Ja-wook in the top of the seventh inning.

It was ominous from the start that Logan Allen, who had been converted from starter to reliever ahead of the Korea Series due to a lack of left-handed bullpen options, collapsed for two runs in ⅓ innings. Kim Jung-won gave up one run in ⅓ innings, and Oh Won-seok also failed to fulfill his role, giving up one run in ⅓ innings. Only Son Dong-hyeon recorded ⅓ innings scoreless. Because four bullpen pitchers were responsible for a mere 1⅓ innings while allowing four runs, the eight-run lead was narrowed to a one-run margin in an instant.

Ultimately, KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) had no choice but to call up Park Young-hyun with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning. If Park Young-hyun had not shut down the threat for 1⅔ innings scoreless, they nearly lost a victory that was almost secured. After the game, Manager Lee admitted to his mistake in pitching changes and revealed his concerns about managing the bullpen against Samsung’s powerful left-handed lineup. He tried to utilize Logan Allen and Oh Won-seok as alternatives, but both players fell short of expectations in Game 1, and the same applied to Game 2.

The bigger problem lies in the remaining schedule. The Korea Series can go up to seven games. There is no guarantee that the remaining starting pitchers will consistently take responsibility for six to seven innings each. Park Young-hyun has already been responsible for five outs on consecutive days, and KT still needs three more wins to secure the championship. After winning Game 1, Park Young-hyun stated his resolve: “There are three wins left. I must guard the back door well if we are to win the championship. I am not concerned about the MVP award. I only desperately wish for the title.”

However, Game 2 clearly showed the limitations of a strategy that relies solely on Park Young-hyun. With an urgent need for bullpen presence to cover at least one to two innings between when the starting pitcher leaves and when Park Young-hyun enters, attention is focused on what answer KT will bring after a day of rest.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original