2 games behind 5th place Doosan… It is impossible to advance on our own, but there is a possibility of a reversal.
After the Lotte game on the 12th, we will play Doosan and the single-tree bridge on the 13th.
The KIA Tigers are maintaining a glimmer of hope for fall baseball. It is impossible to get into the top 5 on our own, but we are aiming for a miracle.
KIA won 11-0 in the home game against Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 11th.
‘Big pitcher’ Yang Hyun-jong’s fight shone. On this day, Yang Hyeon-jong became the winning pitcher against Kiwoom’s batting lineup by pitching 8 innings, allowing 6 hits, no walks, 6 strikeouts, and no runs. The batting line also kept pace with Yang Hyun-jong’s good pitching and succeeded in scoring a large number of runs early, securing the victory.
With this win, 6th place KIA had 70 wins, 2 draws, and 68 losses. They succeeded in reducing the gap with the 5th place Doosan Bears (71 wins, 2 draws, 65 losses), who lost on the same day, to 2 games.
KIA, which has played 140 games, now has only 4 games left. It is not easy to catch up with Doosan, who are two games ahead in four games. And Doosan still has 6 games left. In many ways, this is an unfavorable situation for KIA.
But the possibility of a miracle remains.
Assuming that KIA wins all four remaining games, if Doosan has a winning percentage of less than .500 (3 wins, 3 losses) in the remaining games, the rankings of the two teams will change.
If KIA loses even one game, it will be fatal. If KIA records 3 wins and 1 loss, KIA’s elimination is confirmed even if Doosan only gets 3 wins. If KIA ends up with 2 wins and 2 losses or 1 win and 3 losses, Doosan will advance to fall baseball with just one win. KIA must approach the remaining games with the mindset of achieving victory.
KIA will face the Lotte Giants at home on the 12th. The situation is good for KIA. Lotte, which had already been confirmed to be eliminated from the postseason, selected rookie Woo Kang-hoon as the starter that day. This is Woo Kang-hoon’s first start of the season. KIA, which is highly motivated to win, is predicted to have the upper hand.
KIA will feature foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez. Sanchez, who has 4 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 5.70 in 11 games this season, pitched well in his most recent appearance against the KT Wiz on the 4th, allowing 3 runs in 8 innings. He appeared in one game against Lotte, where he won the game by allowing 5 runs (1 earned run) in 5 innings.
The power of the batting line has weakened due to injuries to key hitters Choi Hyung-woo, Na Seong-beom, and Park Chan-ho, but if they succeed in targeting Woo Kang-hoon early in the game, the game could easily be decided like the previous day’s match against Kiwoom.
KIA will engage in a fierce battle with Doosan in Jamsil on the 13th, a day after the Lotte match. In fact, this could be the game that puts an end to the fight for 5th place. KIA has not yet revealed its starting pitcher, and Doosan’s native ace Kwak Bin will appear.
First of all, KIA must grab Lotte and move up to Jamsil.메이저놀이터 Just like Yang Hyun-jong the day before, Sanchez is desperate for a good pitch today as well.