The KT Wiz's 50% win rate, which seemed unassailable, crumbled after 34 days. This was the result of the ace, who was captured after an investment of a staggering 10.7 billion won, giving up as many as 8 runs.
The professional baseball KT Wiz's homegrown ace, Koh Young Technology, started in the fourth game of the season against the Lotte Giants at Suwon KT Wiz Park on Oct. 10, 2025, pitching 4⅔ innings with 11 hits allowed (1 home run), 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts while giving up 8 runs (6 earned) and throwing 93 pitches, leading to a three-game losing streak.
From the first inning, KT faced a 1st and 3rd base crisis without an out after consecutive hits by Yoon Dong-hee and Ko Seung-min, the table setters. Although they stopped Victor Reyes with a double play from second base to shortstop to first base, in the meantime, Yoon Dong-hee stepped on home plate, scoring the first run.
In the second inning, leading 3-1, their concentration was lacking with 2 outs. After striking out lead-off batter Jeon Jun-woo and Son Ho-young in succession, they faced a crisis with a double from Yoo Gang-nam, an error on a ground ball by Jang Du-sung, and a walk to Lee Ho-jun on the eighth pitch, leading to the bases being loaded. They then allowed a two-RBI game-tying hit to Yoon Dong-hee.
The third inning, tied at 3-3, was also tumultuous. Allowing a double to lead-off batter Reyes was the root of the trouble. They managed to strike out Na Seung-yeop, but after giving up a single to Jeon Jun-woo, they committed a wild pitch, which led to 1 out with runners on 2nd and 3rd, and they allowed a sacrifice fly to left field from Son Ho-young.
The peace of not allowing any runs in the fourth inning was short-lived as they gave up a game-tying solo home run to Ko Seung-min at the start of the fifth inning, leading 5-4. The third pitch thrown in a favorable count of 0B-2S, a changeup that dropped low inside (115 km/h), turned into a frustrating home run with a distance of 113.5 meters.
Again, a lack of concentration after 2 outs was a problem. After quickly recovering and stopping Reyes and Na Seung-yeop with ground outs, they faced a scoring threat when Jeon Jun-woo hit a double, and they allowed a go-ahead RBI hit to Son Ho-young. Following this, they gave up an additional run after a balk and a walk to Yoo Gang-nam in a chance, allowing a game-winning hit to Jang Du-sung, and Kim Min-soo also gave up an RBI hit to Lee Ho-jun on the first pitch, resulting in a final score of 8 runs allowed and 6 earned runs.
Koh Young Technology signed a multi-year contract worth a total of 10.7 billion won with KT ahead of the 2024 season. After a disappointing first year with 18 games, 6 wins and 8 losses, and an earned run average of 4.95, he rebounded this April with a complete game shutout among his 2 wins and 1 loss with an extraordinary earned run average of 0.96, but after starting with the loss in a game on April 26 against Hanwha Eagles despite giving up only 2 runs in 6 innings, he gradually lost his status as the ace of the multi-year contract.
On May 2, Koh Young Technology faced a loss in a game against the Kiwoom Heroes, pitching 6 innings with 16 hits allowed, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts while giving up 5 runs (3 earned), leading to his first consecutive losses. On that day, he also allowed 8 runs while giving up 11 hits in severe poor form, resulting in 27 hits and 13 runs allowed over 2 games in May, leading to a spike in his season earned run average from 2.22 to 3.10. His earned run average for May reached 7.59.
The trusted ace, being hit hard by the Lotte batting lineup, led KT to fall into a four-game losing streak for the first time in 269 days since the match against the Samsung Lions on Aug. 14 last year. This marked the moment their 50% win rate crumbled for the first time in 34 days since the match against the SSG Landers on Apr. 6, resulting in a season record of 18 wins, 2 ties, and 19 losses. They surpassed the three-game losing streak from last month and set a record for the most consecutive losses of the season.
While the batting lineup, which remained 9th in team scoring (153 points), showcased a rare explosive hitting in the early stages, Koh Young Technology's struggles became even more painful. 'Little Rojas' Ahn Hyun-min recorded 4 hits in 5 at-bats (1 home run), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, and multi-hits from Kim Min-hyuk, Hwang Jae-kyun, and Jang Seong-woo failed to shine in defeat. Ahn Hyun-min, who hit a near-cycle hit missing a triple, could not smile freely.
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