Doosan and NC had different atmospheres up until the end of April. While Doosan was struggling with 16 wins and 17 losses and below 50 percent win rate until April 30, NC had jumped high with 20 wins and 11 losses with a 0.645 win rate. Doosan was out of the top five, and NC threatened the top-ranked KIA by one game.여우알바
In May, the joys and sorrows of the two teams were starkly mixed. While Doosan was leading the league in May with 16 wins, two draws and eight losses, NC plunged horribly with seven wins, one draw and 17 losses, and a win rate of 0.274. Doosan, which added +8 to its win-loss margin for the month, ranks fourth in the league as of May 3, and NC, which posted a win-loss margin of -10 in May alone, ranks sixth. Up until May, NC had five more games ahead of Doosan, but now Doosan is inversely leading by three more games.
Doosan, which had its best May, and NC, which had its worst May, will clash in Changwon from the 4th.
NC had been bad throughout May, and the last one was even worse. It lost eight games from May 23 to 31. It managed to escape from losing consecutive games with a win over Lotte on the 1st, but it collapsed again on the 2nd. It led until the 5th inning, and lost seven runs in only one inning in the bottom of the 6th inning, a crushing defeat of 4-13.
Doosan also did not have a good finish in May. From May 31 to May 2, it gave up all three consecutive games at Jamsil LG. Foreigners one-two punch Brandon Waddell and Raul Alcantara were deployed in succession, but the team failed to win. The loss on Monday was the most painful as Alcantara started the game. He turned the game around by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but allowed a tie in the top of the ninth inning and lost the game 5-8 by allowing three runs in the 11th inning.
Both teams need a change of atmosphere. The more desperate is NC. Due to the loss on Monday, the winning percentage fell again in just one day. The team is just 3.5 games behind KT, which ranks seventh, and Hanwha, which ranks eighth. Amid Daniel Castano’s slump, if Kyle Hart, who is playing as the ace, fails to secure his first game of the three consecutive Doosan games, it is hard to expect a winning series. If Hart fails to rebound even this week, when he takes the mound twice a week, he will also fall to the bottom.
Doosan also has no leeway. It lost three consecutive games to LG to fall to fourth place while seeking to take the lead. The ranking is regrettable considering the stellar atmosphere in May. Doosan is also trailing only by two games despite its fifth-ranked SSG, which rebounded sharply with four consecutive wins after losing consecutive games. Doosan predicted Choi Jun-ho as its starting pitcher on Tuesday. Choi, who will play in his first game during the week, needs to endure the longest innings as possible to stably manage his schedule afterwards.
NC will move to Daejeon to meet the Hanwha Eagles after the three consecutive games against Doosan. Doosan will face Kia, the lead team, for the third consecutive games against the Doosan Bears. It is already the third showdown in the past month since the three consecutive games against Gwangju from April 14 to 16.