KT at Kiwoom

SEOUL (Interstat) — The first-place KT Wiz visit the last-place Kiwoom Heroes on Sunday for an afternoon-evening game at Gocheok Sky Dome.

KT (23-11-1) leads the Korea Baseball Organization standings. Kiwoom (12-23-1) enters the series finale after a 6-6 tie in 11 innings Saturday.

The teams split the first two games of the set. KT won 8-0 on Friday. The Wiz are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

KT outfielder Sam Hilliard has been a force at the plate. He went 4 for 5 with two home runs and three RBIs in Saturday’s tie. In the last seven games, Hilliard is batting .382 with four homers and eight RBIs.

Kiwoom second baseman Choi Joo-hwan also starred Saturday, going 4 for 5 with two homers and six RBIs. Choi has four hits in his last three games after a 1-for-8 stretch.

The teams met five times this season. KT won three of the four completed games prior to Saturday.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-2 KT victory. Its ELO system gives the Wiz a 67.50% probability to win. Betting lines list Kiwoom as a +1.5 underdog. The over/under is 7.5 runs.

KT’s pitching has been strong. The Wiz allowed two runs or fewer in four of their last six games. Ko Young-pyo started Saturday, allowing five earned runs in five innings. Ju Kwon threw a scoreless inning.

Kiwoom starter Raul Alcántara gave up three earned runs in five innings Saturday. Park Jin-hyung worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Heroes have lost four of their last five games. They were swept in a three-game series at Samsung from May 5-7, getting outscored 19-2.

KT continues its road trip Tuesday against the Shinsegae Landers. Kiwoom returns home Tuesday to face the Hanwha Eagles.