'Kim Kyung-munho' Selects Ko Young-pyo as Starting Pitcher for Japan Match

Japan Announces Ace Yamamoto Yoshinobu

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Right-handed sidearm pitcher Ko Young-pyo (kt) will start as the starting pitcher for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Korea-Japan baseball match. Manager Kim Kyung-moon selected Ko Young-pyo as the starting pitcher for the baseball semifinal held on the 4th at Yokohama Stadium in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Ko Young-pyo started against the United States on the 31st of last month, recording 4⅔ innings with 4 hits allowed (2 home runs), 6 strikeouts, and 4 runs (4 earned runs). Using his sharp changeup, he held the U.S. batters to just one hit through the third inning, but two mistakes resulted in home runs.

Japan will rely on right-handed pitcher Yamamoto Yoshinobu of the Orix Buffaloes. He is the ace who, in the first game of this tournament, shut down the Dominican Republic lineup over 6 innings with 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, and no runs. He uses a fastball in the 150 km/h range along with a cutter, curveball, and forkball to dominate batters. This is not his first time facing Korean hitters. In the 2019 Premier 12 final, he came in during the 8th inning and retired Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom), Kim Ha-seong (San Diego), and Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan) in order.