KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul told reporters before Game 2 of the Korean Series that his team's chances rest on starter Ko Young-pyo pitching as he has all season and on how opposing starter Chris Fedde holds up physically. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Suwon KT Wiz Park, one day after KT took Game 1 by an 8-7 score. According to 경기일보, Lee named Ko's outing and Fedde's stuff as the two factors he considers decisive.
Lee said Ko has thrown well this year and looked fine in practice games, and he asked only that the right-hander repeat his regular-season form in what he expects to be a tight game. He was more guarded about Fedde, the Samsung Lions' foreign starter. Lee said the question he most wants answered is the quality of Fedde's pitches, noting that a pitcher can grow stronger as a game goes on or, if fatigue sets in, leave pitches over the plate. Only the game itself will show which, he said.
Why it matters
The series is young, but Game 2 shapes how both clubs manage their pitching staffs. A KT win at home would put the defending champions two games up before the series shifts, while a Samsung victory would return the series to level and restore the visitors' rotation options. Lee's comments also signal that KT intends to attack Fedde early rather than wait him out, treating the first innings as the best chance to score.
Ko gets the ball, and the bullpen stays flexible
Ko's assignment follows a Game 1 in which KT's bullpen was stretched. Lee indicated that Logan, the foreign pitcher who was available in relief on Tuesday, will return to his usual role rather than stay in the pen. "Logan should do what he has been doing. He will go back to his spot," Lee said, according to 경기일보.
The manager also left the door open for Bae Je-seong, originally part of the starting plans, to work in long relief depending on how the game unfolds. Lee laid out a rough split: if the starter exits before the fifth inning, Oh Won-seok or Bae could cover multiple innings; from the fifth onward, he expects to use the shorter middle relievers. That plan depends on Ko lasting deep enough to protect a bullpen that already worked hard in the opener.
A lineup change at second base and a nod to Ahn Hyun-min
KT's lineup will not include Kim Sang-su, who is dealing with pain in his foot. Ryu Hyun-in starts at second base instead. Lee said the staff had judged Kim unavailable up to that point but did not rule out using him later if their assessment changed during the game.
The batting order Lee posted runs Choi Won-jun in right field, Kim Min-hyuk in left, Ahn Hyun-min as designated hitter, Sam Hilliard in center, Kim Hyun-soo at first, Ryu at second, Heo Kyeong-min at third, Han Seung-taek behind the plate and Jang Jun-won at shortstop.
Lee singled out Ahn, whose walk in Game 1 helped set up the heart of the order, as a batter Samsung cannot afford to take lightly. He said that simply getting Ahn on base ahead of the third and fourth hitters creates problems for the opposing pitcher.
Game 2 also carries a ceremonial subplot: reports say President Lee Jae-myung will throw out the first pitch, and singer Gummy will perform the national anthem, according to 머니투데이. Fedde, for his part, told 연합뉴스 that he trained hard for this kind of moment.
What to watch: whether Fedde's velocity holds into the middle innings, and how long Lee lets Ko go before turning to a bullpen that has already been tested.
