The Hanwha Eagles, who are on a roll with 15 wins in their last 18 games including 4 straight victories, might carry their challenge for a 5th straight win to Gwangju.
Hanwha is scheduled to host the LG Twins at Hanwha Life Eagles Park at 6:30 p.m. on the 1st. Hanwha's sidearm pitcher Eom Sang-bak and LG's left-hander Son Joo-young are predicted to be the starting pitchers, but the confirmation of the match is uncertain due to rain.
A nationwide rain forecast is in effect, and it started to rain in the Daejeon area after noon. A large waterproof tarp was laid over Hanwha Life Eagles Park, but the continuous rain makes it impossible to maintain the field at the moment. Kim Si-jin, a member of the KBO Game Operations Committee, is monitoring the weather forecast from the Korea Meteorological Administration and checking the field conditions in real-time. There is a possibility that the entry time for spectators may be delayed.
The rain is expected to stop by 5 p.m. before resuming at 7 p.m., making it difficult to proceed with the game smoothly. The new stadium was designed with drainage in mind, so the water drains well, but field maintenance may take some time.
If the game is canceled due to rain, both Hanwha and LG will benefit as they can avoid the 9-game series scheduled for Children's Day on the 5th, Monday.
Hanwha is currently on a hot streak with 4 straight wins, but taking a day off due to rain could also be beneficial. Continuing the winning streak is good, but the bullpen has started to feel fatigue from frequently close games. Setup man Han Seung-hyuk has pitched in 5 games over the last 6 days. Kim Seo-hyun also pitched in two consecutive games earlier, so both pitchers are likely to rest from the bullpen for the LG game on the 1st. It's not easy to play without two crucial relief pitchers.
If the game is canceled due to rain, it can help conserve essential relief pitchers while also avoiding the 4-day rest rotation for starting pitchers. Currently, Hanwha is the only team among the 10 teams to have all 5 starters in rotation. The team is also considering that if the schedule gets pushed back due to rain, they could go forward with the same 5 pitchers instead of using a substitute starter during the 9-game series.
If the game is canceled due to rain, according to the rotation, Eom Sang-bak can pitch with 4 days of rest against Samsung on the 7th, while the other 4 pitchers can have a comfortable rest interval of 5 to 6 days. If the 9-game series proceeds normally without rain cancellations, Ryan Weathers, Ryu Hyun-jin, Eom Sang-bak, and Moon Dong-joo will pitch with 4 days of rest starting from the game against KIA on the 4th and continuing through the Samsung games on the 5th to 7th.
From LG's perspective, which has recently stalled with 4 consecutive losses, taking a break due to rain may be beneficial. Once the season began, LG had a record of 18 wins and 4 losses over 22 games with a winning percentage of .818, leading by a large margin. However, they have recently slumped, winning only 2 out of their last 9 games and now find themselves trailing Hanwha and Samsung by 1.5 games. They've struggled during their 4 consecutive losses, scoring only 10 runs, so a day off could provide a refreshing break.
If the game on that day is canceled, Hanwha will move to Gwangju on the 2nd to challenge for a 5th consecutive win against KIA. LG is scheduled for a 3-game weekend series against SSG at Jamsil Stadium.
[OSEN]