Met again after 2 weeks. The 1st place LG Twins and the 2nd place Hanwha Eagles will compete in a 3-game series starting from the 13th at Daejeon Hanwha Life Bowl Park.
LG is in first place with a record of 40 wins, 26 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage .606), while Hanwha is second with 40 wins and 27 losses (winning percentage .597). Since the 10th, they have consistently maintained a 0.5-game difference at the top two spots. LG leads the season matchups with 5 wins and 3 losses. In Daejeon, Hanwha is undefeated with 2 wins.
It can be called a preview of the Korean Series. LG and Hanwha each reached 40 wins on the 12th. Historically, the team that reaches 40 wins first in the regular season has a 62.5% probability of advancing to the Korean Series.
In June, the 'team of pitchers' Hanwha (ranked 1st in ERA) is gradually seeing its batting lineup improve. Hanwha's team batting average for the season is .252, but the team's batting average in June has risen to .271. Cleanup hitter Roh Si-hwan recorded 4 hits in 12 at-bats (.333 batting average), including 1 home run and 2 doubles, during the weekday series against Doosan.
The 'team of hitters' LG (ranked 1st in OPS, 2nd in home runs) is seeing an improvement in its bullpen since June. Closer Kim Jin-sung and setup man Park Myeong-geun have returned from injury, solidifying the bullpen alongside the existing pitchers. Home run leader Austin (19 home runs), along with tied 3rd place Moon Bo-gyeong and Park Dong-won (both with 13 home runs), is regaining his power.
The starting rotation for the 3-game series is Im Chan-kyu, Song Seung-gi, and the bullpen for LG. Son Ju-yeong has been taken off the roster for rest, leaving Sunday’s starter vacant on the 15th. Hanwha will start Hwang Jun-seo, Ponce, and Moon Dong-ju.
Winning the first game of the 3-game series is important. The matchup on the 13th features starters Im Chan-kyu (LG) and Hwang Jun-seo (Hanwha).
Im Chan-kyu has recorded 8 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.80 over 13 games this season. He is a 'Hanwha killer.' In two games against Hanwha this year, he has 2 wins with an ERA of 0.56 (1 earned run over 16 innings), showing strength. He earned his first complete game shutout on March 26 against Hanwha in Jamsil.
Hwang Jun-seo has recorded 2 losses with an ERA of 3.79 over 4 games as a replacement starter since mid-May. Hwang Jun-seo, who was the overall 1st pick in last year’s draft and joined Hanwha, has a career record of 2 losses with an ERA of 4.40 against LG in 6 games.
Im Chan-kyu and Hwang Jun-seo have faced each other as starters twice in their careers. Im Chan-kyu has 2 wins with an ERA of 3.65 (5 runs allowed over 12⅓ innings), while Hwang Jun-seo has 2 losses with an ERA of 3.60 (4 runs allowed over 10 innings). On May 27 of this year, in Jamsil, Im Chan-kyu pitched 7 innings allowing just 1 run, while Hwang Jun-seo allowed 2 runs over 5 innings. LG won 2-1.
The matchup between Song Seung-gi and Ponce on the 14th is interesting. Ponce (9 wins, no losses) has the top ERA (2.20), while Song Seung-gi (7 wins, 3 losses) is ranked 3rd in ERA (2.30). The variable is the rain. Rain is forecast from the evening of the 13th and all day on the 14th in the Daejeon area.
[OSEN]