No. 1 since June…how the ‘Midwest Storm’ coach envisions the rest of the first half. The key is Ko Young-pyo

The only question is whether or not to put the Korean ace in the final game of the first half.

Several teams have hinted at an all-out war in the remaining half of the season, promising a heated mid-table battle, but the surging KT Wiz have been surprisingly quiet.

Along with the Hanwha Eagles, KT is the team to watch. In last place with 16 wins, 2 draws and 29 losses through May, 6.5 games behind fifth-place NC due to injuries to their main players, KT has been on a roll since June as their main players have returned, and their 17 wins and 8 losses through the 4th are the best among the 10 clubs in this period.메이저사이트

With 33 wins, 2 losses, and 37 draws, KT has moved up to seventh place, two games behind the fifth-place Doosan Bears (36 wins, 1 loss, 36 draws) and 2.5 games ahead of the third-place Lotte Giants (36 wins, 35 draws) and NC (36 wins, 1 loss, 335 draws). With a winning streak, they can quickly move into the top five. The first half of the season wraps up next Thursday, followed by a week-long All-Star break. The players will be well-rested, so it’s possible they could push a bit in the second half, but Lee isn’t calling for an all-out war.

Lee didn’t even mention any top-five aspirations. “I look at the leaderboard, but I don’t look at the leaderboard and think about anything else,” Lee said, “We were -14 points, and we’re now -4 points because we’re working hard every game. We don’t have any greed, we just try to play our best on the day and try to win.”

With the rainout the day before, the starting lineup could have been changed, but it wasn’t. As planned, Cuevas-Um Sang-baek-Young-pyo-Bae Jae-seong will play this week. The only question on Lee’s mind is whether Ko Young-pyo will start next week. Ko is scheduled to start against the Suwon KIA Tigers on the 8th. The normal rotation would be Benjamin-Cuevas-Um Sang-baek for the final three games of the first half against the Kiwoom Heroes next week, but it’s possible that Ko will start the final game after four days of rest.

Lee said, “If Ko Young-pyo plays in the last game of the first half, we will give him enough rest before the first three games of the second half. If he doesn’t pitch, he will pitch in the first three games,” Lee said, adding, “After he pitches on Saturday, I will check his body and condition and make a decision.” Lee’s words of “doing my best for each game” sounded like an all-out war.