KIWOOM HEROES (1-3) AT SHINSEGAE LANDERS (3-1)

Preview

INCHEON, South Korea (Interstat) — The Shinsegae Landers look to continue their strong early-season form when they host the struggling Kiwoom Heroes on Thursday evening at Munhak Baseball Stadium.

The Landers (3-1) have won three of their first four games across all competitions and took the opening game of this series, 9-3, on Tuesday. The Heroes (1-3) responded with an 11-2 rout on Wednesday, powered by a three-RBI night from center fielder Lee Ju-hyoung and five scoreless innings from pitcher Bae Dong-hyun.

Bae is a player to watch for Kiwoom. After a rough outing on March 28, he rebounded with his dominant performance Wednesday. His ability to provide length will be critical for a Heroes team whose bullpen has been taxed.

For Shinsegae, reliever Park Si-hoo is a key figure. He tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in Wednesday’s loss and has been effective in two of his three appearances this season. The Landers’ pitching staff will aim for a quicker start after yielding 11 runs on 14 hits a day ago.

The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies and a first-pitch temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius).

According to Interstat, the Landers are projected as strong favorites. Their game simulator predicts a 4-1 Shinsegae victory, and the ELO rating system gives the Landers a 67.60% probability to win.

Following the game, the Heroes return home to Seoul to begin a three-game series with the LG Twins on Friday. The Landers hit the road for Busan to start a three-game set against the Lotte Giants.