Heavy rain is pouring in Suwon. If one game is canceled during the doubleheader today, what will happen to the schedule on the 11th?
The Lotte Giants and KT Wiz are preparing for the first game of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League doubleheader (the 4th game of the season) at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 10th.
As of 11 a.m., heavy rain is falling at Suwon KT Wiz Park. Following yesterday's rain cancellation and with no rain forecast for today, the doubleheader was expected to proceed normally. However, rain that began in the early morning has continued throughout the morning.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain is forecasted until 2 p.m., the scheduled start time, for the Jowon-dong area in the Jangan District of Suwon, where the stadium is located. If this happens, a delayed start is unavoidable, and if significant time is required for ground maintenance, the scenario of canceling the first game cannot be ruled out.
According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), if even one game of the doubleheader today is canceled due to rain, another doubleheader will be held at the same location on the 11th. However, the weather and forecasts are subject to change frequently, so the home team KT intends to carefully monitor the cloud conditions until game time.
The game today features a matchup between 3rd place Lotte and 5th place KT. There is only a two-game difference in the rankings, but the recent atmosphere has been drastically different. Lotte achieved a winning series with two consecutive wins after losing once against the SSG Landers in the Children's Day series held at home, while KT suffered an unexpected sweep loss against the NC Dinos of the lower rankings at home. Currently, Lotte with two consecutive wins stands at 22 wins, 1 tie, and 16 losses in 3rd place, while KT, in a three-game losing streak, is in 5th place with 18 wins, 2 ties, and 18 losses. The gap between the two teams is three games.
To secure their third consecutive win, Lotte plans to start native right-hander Na Kyun-an. Na Kyun-an's season record shows 7 games with no wins and 1 loss, an earned run average of 3.00. In his most recent appearance on the 2nd against the NC Dinos at Sajik, he pitched 6⅓ innings with 3 hits allowed, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts without allowing any runs, yet he failed to earn his first win. Leading 2-0, three runs were allowed in the 8th inning by Jeong Cheol-won, Jeong Hyun-soo, and Kim Won-jung, causing the winning condition to evaporate. The final result was a 4-3 victory for Lotte, and Lotte's manager Kim Tae-hyung apologized after the game, saying, "I feel sorry for Na Kyun-an, who hasn't had any luck with wins."
This year marks Na Kyun-an's first appearance against KT, having recorded 2 wins without a loss and an earned run average of 5.84 in 3 games against them last year. However, his record in 2 games at Wiz Park is poor, showing 1 win without a loss and an earned run average of 7.11.
In response, KT deployed their native ace Koh Young-pyo. Koh Young-pyo's season record includes 7 games, 2 wins, 2 losses, and an earned run average of 2.22. In his most recent outing on the 2nd against the Suwon Kiwoom Heroes, he suffered a loss after pitching 6 innings, allowing 16 hits, 2 walks, and 5 earned runs (3 earned runs). He has achieved quality starts in the last 6 games but has been unfortunate, losing in both of the last two games.
This year against Lotte, he managed only 6 innings with 2 earned runs and a no-decision on March 30 at Sajik.
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