KT Wiz secured first place in the KBO regular season by defeating the Lotte Giants on October 5.
With the Samsung Lions also losing, KT created a situation in which it could finish ahead in winning percentage regardless of the remaining game results.
Winning the regular season means advancing directly to the Korean Series. This was KT’s greatest advantage in the final stretch of the competition.
3-Line Summary
1. KT Wiz secured first place in the KBO regular season
2. Their 9-0 victory over Lotte coincided with Samsung’s loss
3. KT advances directly to the Korean Series
First Place Secured with a 9-0 Victory over Lotte
KT defeated Lotte 9-0 in a game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park. KT scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning alone, taking control of the momentum from the start, while Jang Jun-won hit two home runs. Starting pitcher Logan Allen supported the victory with 8 scoreless innings and 14 strikeouts.
On the same day, second-place Samsung lost 5-7 to the Doosan Bears. With these two results, KT moved 4.5 games ahead of Samsung. KT had 4 games remaining and Samsung had 5, but even assuming Samsung won all of its remaining games and KT lost all of its remaining games, Samsung could no longer overtake KT in winning percentage.
At the end of the regular season, winning-percentage calculations can determine the standings rather than simply the game differential. This clinching means KT reached the point where it could no longer be caught, including consideration of the remaining number of games and the winning-percentage conditions.
Second Regular-Season Championship Since 2021
This championship is the second regular-season first-place finish in KT’s history. KT won the regular season after defeating Samsung in the first-place deciding game in 2021, and also won the Korean Series championship that year.
During the first half of this season, KT moved in and out of the top 3. After taking the lead in August, it was caught by Samsung toward the end of August. KT then returned to first place on September 10 and held the lead through the end of the season. Its ability to maintain the lead after reclaiming it ultimately led to the regular-season championship.
The first-place regular-season team advances directly to the Korean Series. According to Yonhap News Agency, throughout KBO history, the rate at which the regular-season champion also won the Korean Series was approximately 85%. However, this figure reflects the record of the league in the past and does not predetermine the result of this year’s Korean Series.
Ko Young-pyo Mentioned Waiting in the Bullpen Even After a Complete Game
On October 3, shortly before the championship race was decided, Ko Young-pyo led KT to a 5-0 victory over Lotte by throwing 9 innings and 102 pitches, allowing 4 hits and 1 walk without giving up a run. He recorded 7 strikeouts, earning the sixth complete-game victory of his career.
Ko Young-pyo expressed his willingness to make a relief appearance against Samsung on October 7 if necessary. The team manager also left open the possibility of having him wait in the bullpen depending on the situation in the regular-season championship race. This should be understood as a plan and willingness to use him in the final standings competition, not as an announcement that an actual appearance had been confirmed.
KT’s confirmed achievement is now direct advancement to the Korean Series. Whether Ko Young-pyo makes an additional appearance and whether KT wins the Korean Series will be decided in the games ahead.
References
Tags #KBO #KBOLeague #KTWiz #RegularSeasonChampions #KoreanSeries #KTDirectAdvancementToTheKoreanSeries #LotteGiants #SamsungLions #LoganAllen #JangJun-won #KoYoung-pyo #SuwonKTWizPark