SEOUL (Interstat) — The first-place Shinsegae Landers aim to extend their dominance over the Doosan Bears on Saturday afternoon, sending left-hander Anthony Veneziano to the mound at Jamsil Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for late afternoon under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 68 degrees.

Shinsegae (19-14-1) holds a 3.5-game lead in the standings over the Bears (15-19), a gap that has been carved largely by recent head-to-head success. The Landers won Friday’s series opener 4-1, marking their third victory in four meetings against Doosan this season.

Veneziano, who recorded the win in that game, has been a stabilizing force for the Landers’ rotation. In Friday’s outing, the right-hander allowed one earned run on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Over his past five starts, Veneziano has posted a 4.13 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Doosan will counter with left-hander Choi Jun-ho, who holds a 0.00 ERA over his last four relief appearances. In Friday’s loss, Choi worked 2 2/3 hitless innings, striking out five. The Bears have dropped three of their past four games.

The Bears’ bullpen has been a sore spot, but Choi has provided a bright spot. Over his past five outings, he has allowed one earned run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts.

Offensively, Shinsegae has been productive, averaging 4.7 runs per game over its past five contests. Doosan has struggled to generate consistent scoring, averaging 2.8 runs in that span.

The series continues Sunday. The Landers then travel to face KT Wiz, while the Bears visit Kia Tigers.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-2 Doosan victory, though the website’s ELO model gives Shinsegae a 53.2% probability of winning.