KT Wiz’s Park Young-hyun became the first player in the KBO to reach the 20-hold plateau this season. The manager smiled with satisfaction.

KT won 3-1 at home against the SSG Landers of the 2023 Shinhan Bank Solar KBO League at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on April 4.

The pitching staff was in perfect harmony. Starter Uhm Sang-baek pitched seven innings of one-run ball, while set-up man Park Young-hyun and closer Kim Jae-yoon each pitched one inning of scoreless relief.

Park Young-hyun, who leads the league in holds, reached the 20-hold mark for the first time in his career by collecting holds in his last three games.

“I didn’t know he was the leader in holds,” KT manager Lee Kang-cheol said before the game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on April 4. “He showed good form at the end of last season, and when I saw the pitch, I thought I should use it this year,” he laughed.

“After collapsing in three consecutive games, he survived the NC game (July 30), and in the last two games, he had a little uneasy hold, but he overcame it,” he said, praising him for having a good mentality and pitching at such a young age in his second year of high school.

Uhm Sang-baek has been on a roll lately, with quality starts in all five of his starts. “His velocity always gets better and better as the innings go on,” Lee said. If he can get through the first inning, he can go six innings or more.”안전놀이터

Starting on the mound against Doosan on April 4 will be Jeobusung (4-6, 4.08 ERA). Looking to jump to third place and win their seventh straight game, KT has lined up in the following order: Kim Min-hyuk (right fielder), Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), Anthony Alford (left fielder), Park Byung-ho (first baseman), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Lee Ho-yeon (second baseman), Moon Sang-chul (designated hitter), Kim Jun-tae (catcher), and Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder).