The KT Wiz and the Doosan Bears will have their last showdown of the season for the fourth place in the Korean pro baseball league. The game could be a watershed moment in the competition for fourth place.
KT and Doosan will face each other at Jamsil Stadium at 5 p.m. on the 14th.
It is a match that is expected to be more intense than ever.
The two teams are competing until the end of the season for the fourth place.
As of Tuesday, KT is ranking fourth (67 wins, two draws and 65 losses), followed by Doosan (65 wins, two draws and 66 losses). The gap between the two teams is 1.5 games.
Depending on who wins, the direction of the fourth-place fight, which is flailing over the top, can be determined.메이저사이트
If KT wins, it can solidify its position by beating Doosan by 2.5 games. On the other hand, if Doosan beats KT, it can seek to counterattack by placing fourth place within a 0.5 game gap.
Doosan is overwhelming KT with 11 wins and 4 losses in the match against each other in the season.
Doosan is the team that KT has dedicated the most losses this year. When he met Doosan, he couldn’t show his strength and kneeled down.
KT manager Lee Kang-chul said, “I can’t do it for Doosan this year,” but stressed, “If we set up a game on the 14th, we will have a really big game. That game is really important.”
KT is in a better mood these days. It has had seven wins and three losses in its recent 10 games, including all three consecutive games against the NC Dinos this week. Doosan, which has broken its 50% win rate, is struggling with three wins and seven losses in its recent 10 games.
Ko Young-pyo, who used to have steady pitching, has five wins, six losses and an earned run average of 5.53 in 15 games amid injuries and sluggish performances this season. However, on the 17th of last month, when he took the mound against Doosan, he allowed two runs despite nine hits during five innings.
Kwak Bin has 12 wins, 9 losses and a 4.28 ERA this year. Expectations are even higher for Kwak Bin in Doosan, where the starting lineup is shaking significantly.
Both Ko Young-pyo and Kwak Bin need to show more stable performances in games where the team’s fate is at stake.
Meanwhile, foreign pitcher Dustin Nippert’s retirement ceremony, which was postponed due to COVID-19, will also be held in the game.
Nippert joined the KBO League after signing a contract with Doosan in 2011, and played in Doosan’s uniform until the 2017 season. In the 2018 season, he moved to KT and played his last season in the KBO League before retiring.
In 214 career games, he pitched 102 wins, 51 losses, 1 hold, 1082 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.59, remaining the only 100 wins-1,000 strikeouts along with the record of the longest-ever foreign player.