"We hurt the fans' hearts": Even the guardian of Jang-anmun bowed his head... From 1 run in 7 innings to a nightmare of 8 runs after 3 days off: "You came all the way to Daegu, and this was not the performance we should have shown"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Regardless of the win or loss, I feel truly sorry because I believe we hurt the hearts of the fans who had expected the baseball that KT has shown over the years."

Go Yeong-pyo (35), the regular season winning pitcher and KT Wiz's domestic ace, bowed his head to fans after finishing as runner-up in the Korea Series (KS). He led the team to the top with 15 wins in the regular season, but he felt a deep sense of regret over the performance shown in the final Korea Series.

On the 10th, Go Yeong-pyo posted a long message on his personal social media, stating, "The 2026 season has come to an end this way. I am truly grateful for your passionate support throughout the season." He continued, "It was not the performance we should have shown to the fans who came to Suwon home games and even traveled to Daegu to cheer for their beloved team. I would like to offer words of comfort to the fans who must be deeply disappointed," apologizing for the result.

KT suffered a heavy 1-12 defeat in Game 5 of the Korea Series against the Samsung Lions, held on the 8th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. After winning Game 1, they lost four consecutive games, finishing the series with a record of 1 win and 4 losses to settle for second place.

The result was even harder for Go Yeong-pyo to accept. In this year's regular season, he recorded a 15-7 record in 29 games with an ERA of 3.28. He pitched 172⅔ innings, striking out 183 batters and recording 18 quality starts, earning his first career winning pitcher title. In particular, he performed brilliantly in seven games from September to October, posting a 5-1 record with an ERA of 2.30. On the 3rd of last month, against the Lotte Giants, he even pitched a 9-inning, 4-hits-allowed scoreless complete game victory, leading KT to secure 90 regular season wins and first place.

He also fulfilled his role in the Korea Series. In Game 2, held in Suwon on the 4th, he faced off against Samsung's Chris Fedak (30) in a starting pitcher duel, pitching well with 7 innings, 7 hits allowed, no walks or hit batters, 4 strikeouts, and 1 run allowed. In the top of the 6th inning with one out and runners on all bases, he induced Ryu Ji-hyuk to ground into a double play, getting through the crisis. However, KT lost 2-3 in the bottom of the 12th inning of extra innings, dimming the shine of Go Yeong-pyo's strong pitching.

With three consecutive losses, KT found itself on the brink and declared an all-out effort for Game 5. Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) announced that he would keep starting pitchers like Go Yeong-pyo and So Hyoung-jun ready in the bullpen. As a result, Go Yeong-pyo took the mound in Game 5 on the 8th after resting only three days since his appearance in Game 2. Entering in the bottom of the 4th inning with KT trailing 1-3 to replace starter Daniel Davis (29), Go Yeong-pyo retired Ryu Ji-hyuk, Kang Min-ho, and Kim Ji-chan in just eight pitches for a triple play.

However, the nightmare began in the bottom of the 5th inning. He induced leadoff batter Park Seung-gyu to ground out on the first pitch, but shortstop Kwon Dong-jin failed to field the ball. A line drive single by Koo Ja-wook and a RBI hit by Choi Hyeong-woo followed, and Kim Yeong-woong's hit also reached the outfield due to a defensive error by the second baseman. After allowing an RBI double to Lee Jae-hyun, he drew an intentional walk to load the bases and aimed for a double play. However, on Kang Min-ho's ground ball, the second baseman's throw went far off target, allowing two additional runners to score.

After allowing Kim Ji-chan a 2-RBI triple, Go Yeong-pyo handed the mound over to Son Dong-hyun. Subsequently, a wild pitch by Son Dong-hyun allowed the runner left on base to score, increasing Go Yeong-pyo's runs allowed to 8.

The official record was 1⅓ innings, 5 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 8 runs allowed. However, he was charged with only 2 earned runs. A series of defensive errors brought him the ignominy of tying for second place in the most runs allowed in a single inning in Korea Series history. Thus, Go Yeong-pyo's third Korea Series ended with a record of 2 games, 8⅓ innings, 12 hits allowed, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and 9 runs allowed (3 earned), with an ERA of 3.24.

KT holds a special meaning for Go Yeong-pyo. Drafted by KT in the 2014 rookie draft, he has been with the team since its first first division season in 2015. He also experienced the team's first integrated championship in 2021. Ahead of Game 3 of the Korea Series, he met with reporters and expressed his unique feelings, saying, "I have played for KT for over 10 years. In the past, we were a last-place team and a weak team. Now, we are a team that advances directly to the Korea Series and waits to see who we will face. It was truly overwhelming."

The regret left by this runner-up finish was all the greater because of that. Of the 8th runs allowed in Game 5, only 2 were earned runs, and Go Yeong-pyo had strived to fulfill his role as an ace from the regular season through the Korea Series. Nevertheless, he did not shirk responsibility. Concluding his social media post, Go Yeong-pyo vowed, "I am truly sorry. What I can say with certainty is that I will return next year with better performance," conveying his gratitude to fans once again.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original