KT's season as the top-ranked team is now in danger of ending as runners-up, according to 조선일보, after its Game 5 starter was knocked out early. Daniel, who started the first game of the Korean Series, lasted only three innings and gave up three runs before being replaced. The report describes the move as a shock for the first-place club.
조선일보 also reports that KT turned to Ko Young-pyo out of the bullpen, calling it an aggressive move. The runs came with two outs in the third inning, when the opposing lineup strung together four straight hits, according to 스포츠경향.
The early scoring put KT behind in a game it needed. OSEN reports that the first run of Game 5 came on a sacrifice fly, following a solo home run earlier in the series by a player who joined the club as compensation from Hanwha. 머니투데이 published a photo of Kim Hyun-soo reacting to a missed chance at the plate.
Chosunbiz noted that Daniel opened with a scoreless first inning before the third-inning rally undid his outing. The series now sits at a point where the regular-season leaders face the real prospect of finishing second, per 조선일보.
What to watch next: whether KT's bullpen can hold the deficit and whether the team can force the series back in its favor.
