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KT had a beautiful July.

The KT Wiz, coached by Lee Kang-cheol, completed a series sweep with a 5-2 victory over the NC Dinos in the 12th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Changwon NC Park on July 30. It was their fourth consecutive win and 7-2 record in the second half.

With the win, KT improved to 44 wins, 43 losses, and two ties, eliminating the gap with fourth-place NC (43 wins, 42 losses, and one tie) and reducing the gap with the third-place Doosan Bears (44 wins, 41 losses, and one tie) to one game. KT, which once had a -14 win-loss margin, now has a +1 win-loss margin. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games.

It’s an unbelievable turnaround. Earlier in the season, a string of injuries to key players left KT struggling. In April, they were in 9th place with a record of 7 wins, 14 losses, and 2 draws.
By May 18, they had 10 wins, 24 losses, and a -14 win-loss margin, and by the end of May, KT was at the bottom of the league with 16 wins, 29 losses, and 2 draws.

But in June, the team started to rebound. With key players returning and the starting lineup finding stability, the team reduced its win-loss margin to -6. With 31 wins, 37 losses, and 2 draws, they climbed to 7th place.

July was KT’s month. In 19 games in July, the team went 13-6. With a winning percentage of 0.684, they were in third place behind the Kia Tigers, who had a 0.688, and Doosan, who had a 0.688.

The players also performed well. Wes Benjamin, who had his ups and downs, came alive in July with four wins and a 1.67 ERA in four games, while homegrown ace Ko Young-pyo went 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA in four games. Kim Jae-yoon and Park Young-hyun also had higher ERAs than in previous months, but they remained consistent and helped the team whenever they were needed.

The batting lineup was no different. While Kang Baek-ho hasn’t found his form yet, Kim Min-hyuk, who is having a career-high season, has been on fire, hitting nearly 4%. Newcomer Lee Ho-yeon also hit .357, and Bae Jae-dae, who had a slow start to the season due to injury, returned to form with a .333 average. Veterans Kim Sang-soo and Park Byung-ho also contributed one hit apiece at every critical juncture.
The pitching balance was also clean in the NC game on the 30th. Starter Benjamin secured his 11th win of the season with a quality start (three earned runs or less in six innings), while relievers Son Dong-hyun, Park Young-hyun, and Kim Jae-yoon pitched three scoreless innings. It was exactly the kind of game Lee envisioned.

At the plate, leadoff hitter Kim Min-hyuk hit the game-winning two-run shot in the third inning, and Park Byung-ho added an RBI single. Jang Jun-won, who started in place of Kim Sang-soo, also had a multi-hit game. 먹튀검증

KT, which was languishing in the bottom half of the standings until May, is now looking toward the top. At the rate they’re going, they’ll be in the mix for the top three.

KT’s season isn’t over yet. It’s just beginning.