SSG Landers could not overcome the 'nemesis' Ko Young-pyo again.
The professional baseball team SSG Landers suffered a 2-4 come-from-behind loss against KT Wiz in the final game of the first half of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, held on the 10th at Incheon SSG Landers Field.
In the last game of the first half, SSG faced the 'Landers killer' Ko Young-pyo. Ko has been quite strong against SSG, recording 11 wins, 2 losses, and 1 hold with an earned run average of 2.10 over 16 games (15 starts) since the 2021 season up until the game in Suwon on June 7. This includes 3 wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 2.08 in 4 games last year, 3 wins and no losses with an earned run average of 2.05 in 3 games in 2023, 2 wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 3.27 in 3 games in 2022, and 2 wins and no losses with an earned run average of 1.45 in 5 games in 2021.
That day seemed like a resolution of the nemesis relationship with Ko Young-pyo. At least the early atmosphere of the game was so. The 'national team shortstop' Park Seong-han opened the scoring with a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the 1st inning, establishing control early on. On a full count, he connected with Ko Young-pyo's high two-seam fastball (137 km) for a home run that traveled 110 meters. This was his fifth home run of the season, coming about three weeks after his last on June 21 against the Incheon Kia Tigers. It was recorded as the 11th home run of the KBO League season, the 381st overall, and his second lead-off home run in the 1st inning.
In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Jeong Jun-jae, who came up after one out, reached base on an error by third baseman Heo Kyung-min's throw to first base, then stole second base. Although Jo Hyung-woo struck out on a swinging strikeout, Park Seong-han, the one who hit the lead-off home run, delivered a one-run RBI single to left field, succeeding in scoring against Ko Young-pyo for two consecutive innings.
However, there were no further runs. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, lead-off batter Han Yoo-seom walked, and in the bottom of the 4th inning, Jo Hyung-woo also drew a walk with one out, but all subsequent attempts failed, and they went through two ineffective three-up, three-down innings in the 5th and 6th. Ko Young-pyo pitched 6 innings, allowing 4 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, and striking out 7, with 2 runs (1 earned) given up, to earn his 8th win of the season (4 losses). This marked his 12th quality start of the season. It was the moment he recorded 12 wins against SSG in 17 games over the past 5 years.
Perhaps the lack of additional scoring sapped their strength. SSG starter Drew Anderson, leading 2-0 in the top of the 5th inning with two outs and runners on second and third, gave up a two-run game-tying single to pinch hitter Kim Min-hyeok on the first pitch. Then, in the top of the 7th inning, veteran No Kyung-heon, whom they relied on, faced a one-out, runners on third situation after Lee Jeong-hun hit a double, and surrendered a one-run go-ahead infield ground ball to Kim Min-hyeok, followed by a game-clinching RBI single to pinch hitter Oh Yun-seok.
With SSG trailing 2-4 in the final bottom of the 9th inning, against KT closer Park Young-hyun, Choi Jun-woo walked, Park Seong-han singled to right, and Guillermo Heredia walked after 8 pitches, setting up a bases-loaded situation with two outs. Choi Jeong then made solid contact on Park Young-hyun's first pitch, but he suffered the misfortune of having it caught at the left warning track.
With this loss, SSG fell into a two-game losing streak, finishing the first half in 6th place, conceding the 5th position to KT, with a record of 43 wins, 3 ties, and 41 losses. Initially, it seemed they were successfully targeting Ko Young-pyo, but the wall of Ko Young-pyo was still high that day.
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