Our worst fears were realized. Two of the three games of the weekend series were rained out, forcing Doosan to play a hellish nine-game series.
After playing the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 3rd, Doosan stayed in Busan for an extra day without traveling. The game was scheduled for the fourth day after being canceled due to rain. Raul Alcantara took the mound, but the Giants were unable to overcome a four-run deficit in the first inning and suffered a heartbreaking 3-4 loss.
With 55 wins, 55 losses and one tie, the sixth-place Doosan lost its win-loss margin and is now three games behind the fifth-place NC Dinos. The outcome of the upcoming seven-game series in Jamsil becomes even more important.
Playing seven games in Jamsil without traveling is a blessing in disguise, but it comes with its own set of physical concerns. There’s even a doubleheader against Samsung on the 9th. It’s even tougher, starting with a 2 p.m. day game after a 6:30 p.m. game the day before.
However, if they can survive this period, they can look forward to fall baseball. Especially important is the fateful three-game series against the KIA Tigers starting today.
Kia is another team with a worrisome remaining schedule. They are in fourth place with 56 wins, 50 losses, and two ties for the NC, but the problem is that they have the busiest schedule of anyone for the rest of the season due to the most rainouts. With 108 games played, they have 36 games remaining, the most of any of the 10 clubs.
This is a crucial matchup for both teams. If Doosan can sweep the three-game series, it could make a huge difference in the standings. While a three-game sweep wouldn’t change the standings right away, it would erase all of their losses and put them in a position to make a late-season upset.
The starting pitching matchup is even more important. Doosan will start Choi Won-jun, while KIA will counter with Hwang Dong-ha. Choi Won-jun has been Doosan’s native ace, but it’s hard to give him the edge based on his performance this season. He went 2-9 with a 5.34 ERA in 21 games before being moved to the bullpen and then back to the starting rotation. On the other hand, in his debut this season, Hwang is 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA in nine games. He will be making his second start of the season after working mostly in relief.안전놀이터
The mood of the teams is definitely in favor of KIA. They’re riding high on an eight-game winning streak and have climbed all the way up to fourth place. They have scored 68 points in that span, more than eight points per game, and have a terrifying firepower.
The key for Doosan is to contain KIA’s firepower. Already utilizing a one-two punch of foreigners, Doosan will have to start with Choi Won-jun and use Kwak Bin, Kim Dong-joo, or Kim Min-kyu to counter KIA.
One bright spot is that Doosan has a 7-3 record against KIA this season. However, if they can’t easily contain KIA’s bats, it could prove costly in the seven-game series in Jamsil. It is no exaggeration to say that the performance of the pitching staff will absolutely determine the outcome of the nine-game series.