NC Dinos' key hitter Park Gun-woo and starting catcher Kim Hyung-jun were replaced due to injuries in the first game of the professional baseball postseason wildcard playoff held on the 6th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Both players started as the third batter and designated hitter, and the ninth batter and catcher, respectively, but they could not continue playing until the 9th inning due to pain during the game.

In the top of the 5th inning with one out and runners on first and second, Park Gun-woo hit a ground ball toward the shortstop and sprinted to first base. The runner on first, Choi Won-jun, was out at second base, but the runner on second, Kim Joo-won, was safe at third. Park Gun-woo was also safe at first base, avoiding a double play. NC capitalized on the opportunity created by Park Gun-woo's sprint and scored additional runs to take a 4-0 lead. However, Park Gun-woo later complained of pain in his right hamstring and was replaced by pinch runner Park Young-bin. An NC official stated, "He is scheduled for a hospital examination depending on the situation."

Kim Hyung-jun hit a solo home run with a distance of 104 meters in the top of the 5th inning with one out, becoming the all-time leader in wildcard home runs with three. However, he felt pain in his left wrist after the home run and was replaced by Kim Jung-ho before the bottom of the 5th inning defense. An NC official explained, "Kim Hyung-jun was replaced due to pain," adding, "He is also scheduled for a hospital examination."

NC fought fiercely for the 5th place near the end of the regular season and advanced to the postseason by surpassing kt wiz with a nine-game winning streak. However, the injuries to the two key players on this day inevitably dealt a significant blow to the team's strength.

Samsung Lions' foreign pitcher Ariel Jurado started the game but did not meet expectations. Jurado showed a poor performance, allowing 9 hits and 4 runs over 6.2 innings. During the regular season, Jurado was the league's top ace with 30 games, 197.1 innings pitched, 15 wins, 8 losses, and a 2.60 ERA, but he struggled with control in this game.

NC's batting lineup succeeded in attacking Jurado from the beginning. In the top of the 1st inning, Kim Joo-won, Choi Won-jun, Park Gun-woo, and Matt Davidson all finished their at-bats within two pitches, and Davidson hit a timely single on the first pitch. In the top of the 2nd inning, Lee Woo-sung hit a line drive on the first pitch, resulting in a two-base hit to left field and adding more runs. Samsung's Jurado showed disrupted pitching balance and failed to stop NC's offense.

NC's starting pitcher Koo Chang-mo delivered an excellent performance in this game. Koo maintained his fastball speed in the low 140 km/h range and showed exquisite control. With the help of the defense, he continued stable pitching. Especially, third baseman Kim Hwi-jip supported Koo's pitching by handling sharp ground balls consecutively.

The only case of a 4th place team losing in the wildcard playoff was last year when 5th place kt defeated 4th place Doosan. However, NC's momentum is strong, and the probability of the 4th place team advancing to the semifinals is as high as 90%. Despite the injuries to two key players in this game, NC secured a victory and continued their upward trend in the postseason.

NC's team strength is expected to undergo significant changes depending on the recovery of Park Gun-woo and Kim Hyung-jun's injuries in upcoming games. The impact of the two players' injuries on the team is anticipated to be considerable. NC plans to closely monitor the condition of the injured players and prepare for future games.