Rainy Series Opener in Suwon Features Divergent Clubs

SUWON-SI, South Korea (Interstat) — A slumping Doosan Bears club looks to reverse its fortunes against the hot-starting KT Wiz as the teams open a three-game series Friday evening at Suwon Baseball Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time under foreboding skies, with a game-time temperature of 51 degrees Fahrenheit (11 Celsius) and rain in the forecast.

The teams enter in starkly different form. The Wiz (7-3-1) sit among the league’s early leaders, while the Bears (3-6-1) have struggled to find consistency. KT’s .700 win percentage contrasts sharply with Doosan’s .350.

A key matchup will feature two pitchers coming off contrasting recent outings. Doosan will look to right-hander Choi Min-seok, who has been brilliant in his last two starts despite minimal run support. On April 8, he held Kiwoom to three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a 7-3 win. On April 2, he allowed just two hits over six shutout frames but took a loss in a 2-5 defeat against Samsung.

He will be opposed by KT’s Oh Won-seok. The right-hander was tagged for six hits over four innings in a 1-6 loss to Lotte on April 8 but was strong in his previous start, earning a win on April 2 after allowing one run over six innings with seven strikeouts against Hanwha.

The Bears are coming off a 7-3 victory over Kiwoom on Wednesday, powered by Choi’s start and a scoreless bullpen effort from Kim Taek-yeon and Lee Byeong-heon. The Wiz, however, fell 6-1 to Lotte on the same day, with Oh taking the loss. Outfielder Sam Hilliard provided the lone run with a home run.

According to Interstat’s projections, KT is a heavy favorite. The game simulator predicts a 7-2 Wiz victory, and its ELO rating system gives KT a 62.3% probability to win.

Following this series, Doosan continues its road trip with a visit to Incheon to face the Shinsegae Landers on Tuesday. KT will hit the road for a three-game set against the NC Dinos in Changwon starting Tuesday.