KT Wiz Put Six-Game Winning Streak on Line as KBO Pennant Race Tightens

KT Wiz enter Tuesday’s road game against the Hanwha Eagles riding a six-game winning streak and holding first place in the KBO, with the regular-season pennant race entering its decisive stretch. KT takes a 75-46-3 record into the September 15 matchup in Daejeon, two games clear of the Samsung Lions, and sends sidearm ace Ko Young-pyo to the mound.

The combination makes this more than another September game. KT has created separation at the top while playing its best baseball of the late season, but Samsung remains close enough that every result can reshape the race for the No. 1 seed and a direct place in the Korean Series.

KT’s six-game surge changes the KBO race

KT has won six straight entering Tuesday and has paired that streak with one of the strongest overall records in the league. The Wiz are 75-46-3, while Samsung entered the day in second at 74-49-3.

The recent form has been convincing as well. KT has averaged more than seven runs per game across its last five contests while allowing fewer than two, giving the league leader momentum on both sides of the ball rather than relying on a run of close finishes.

That matters in the KBO’s playoff format. Finishing first in the regular season sends a club directly to the Korean Series, making the final weeks a race not simply for home-field advantage but for the most valuable postseason position in Korean baseball.

Ko Young-pyo gets another September test

Ko Young-pyo starts for KT with an 11-6 record and a 3.80 ERA across 24 starts. The 34-year-old has struck out 149 hitters in 139⅔ innings while issuing only 20 walks, continuing to lean on command and his trademark changeup rather than overpowering velocity.

His latest assignment also offers a chance to reinforce a rebound. Ko endured one of his roughest outings of the season against Hanwha earlier this month, allowing seven runs in three innings. He responded in his next start with seven scoreless innings on four hits, making Tuesday a quick rematch against the lineup that recently gave him trouble.

Hanwha counters with Wang Yan-cheng, who enters at 11-5 with a 3.75 ERA. On paper, that creates a considerably stronger pitching matchup than the teams’ positions in the standings might suggest.

Hanwha has already shown it can hurt KT

The Eagles sit seventh at 54-68-3, but their record does not make them a comfortable opponent for Ko. Hanwha’s offense attacked him immediately in their September meeting, including a three-run homer from Kim Tae-yeon during a five-run first inning.

KT has nevertheless controlled the season series, winning 11 of the first 14 meetings between the clubs. Extending that dominance Tuesday would push the Wiz another step toward the regular-season title while keeping pressure on Samsung to match their pace.

With less than three weeks remaining in September, KT has moved from contender to the team everyone else is chasing. The question now is whether its hottest stretch of the season can become the run that decides the KBO pennant.