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Game 5 starter "not (announced) yet"

Lee Kang-cheol watches the game

Game 4 of the 2023 KBO Korean Series between the LG Twins and the KT Wiz at Katie Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, on April 11, 2023. KT head coach Lee Kang-cheol watches the game.

After losing Games 2 through 4 of the best-of-seven Korean Series (KS-7), KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol refused to give up hope.

"We gave up a run early in the game and couldn't catch up, so the game was completely out of hand," Lee said at a press conference after losing the fourth game of the 2023 KBO KS 4-15 at Katie Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, on the 11th to take a 1-3 series lead.

When asked about his attitude for Game 5, he said, "It's a cliffhanger anyway," and added, "We won three in a row after losing two in the playoffs (PO). We might have some good momentum. We will prepare well and try to win."

KT dropped the first and second games of the PO with the NC Dinos, but won the third, fourth, and fifth games to dramatically qualify for KS.

When asked about the starting pitcher for Game 5, Lee Kang-cheol avoided answering, saying, "The date (for the announcement) hasn't been made yet."

On the day, KT gave up two runs in the first inning due to a shaky starting pitching performance by Uhm Sang-baek and added another run in the fifth inning to fall behind 0-3.

KT quickly mobilized its bullpen, bringing in closer Kim Jae-yoon in the fifth inning, but the bullpen collapsed and gave up a lot of runs.

"I brought him in to give him confidence in a comfortable situation," manager Lee Kang-cheol said of the early decision, adding, "I couldn't let the game slip away."

When asked why he didn't use set-up man Park Young-hyun, he said, "There was no reason to use him because the score difference was (large)."

"My hamstring (the muscle in the back of the thigh) is a little tight," he said of foreign batsman Anthony Alford, who was replaced in the third inning after complaining of pain in his right groin.