Doosan at Kia
GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Doosan Bears and Kia Tigers meet again Wednesday evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, one day after Doosan handed Kia a 5-1 defeat.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature of 65 degrees.
Doosan (18-19-1) looks to build momentum after winning its second consecutive game. The Bears are 5-5 in their last 10 contests. Kia (17-20-2) has lost four of its last five after dropping Tuesday’s series opener.
The pitching matchup features a rematch of Tuesday’s starters.
Right-hander Choi Seung-yong takes the ball for Doosan. He earned the win Tuesday, allowing one earned run on five hits over five innings with two strikeouts. In two starts against Kia this season, Choi has a 2.31 ERA across 11 2/3 innings. He has pitched into the sixth inning in two of his last three outings.
Adam Oller starts for Kia. The right-hander was Tuesday’s losing pitcher, surrendering five earned runs on six hits over six innings while striking out six. Oller has lost three consecutive starts, posting a 7.20 ERA over that span. However, he threw a complete-game shutout April 24 against Lotte, allowing three hits with 11 strikeouts.
Head-to-head this season, Doosan leads the series 3-1. The Bears have won three straight against Kia, including a 6-3 victory April 19 and a 5-4 win in 10 innings April 18. Kia’s lone win came April 17, 7-3.
Doosan’s offense has produced 26 runs over the last four games. Second baseman Park Jun-soon homered and drove in three runs Tuesday. The Bears are averaging 4.7 runs per game in May.
Kia’s bats have managed five runs over the last three games. The Tigers are hitting .247 as a team this season.
Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 Doosan victory. Interstat’s ELO system gives Kia a 54.0 percent probability to win.
Following Wednesday’s game, the teams meet again Thursday in the series finale. Doosan then hosts Lotte for three games. Kia travels to Samsung for a three-game weekend set.