Shinsegae at KT
SUWON, South Korea (Interstat) — The KT Wiz will look to bounce back when they host the Shinsegae Landers on Wednesday evening at Suwon Baseball Stadium after dropping the opener of their series.
First pitch is set for 71 degrees under cloudy skies.
KT (23-13) owns the best record in the league but has lost three of its past four games. The Wiz fell 5-1 to Shinsegae on Tuesday, managing only one run on six hits. The Landers (20-16-1) have won two straight after dropping four of their previous five.
Right-hander Kim Keon-woo is scheduled to start for Shinsegae. Kim is 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA over his past five starts. He threw five innings of one-run ball against KT on Tuesday, striking out three without issuing a walk. In his previous outing against the Wiz on April 24, he pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts.
The Landers’ offense has been inconsistent, scoring five or more runs only twice in their past nine games. First baseman Oh Tae-gon homered Tuesday, and third baseman Choi Jeong went 1-for-2 with a two-run shot.
KT will counter with reliever Kim Min-su, who has been used primarily out of the bullpen. Over his past 10 appearances spanning 13 innings, Kim has a 2.77 ERA with 10 strikeouts. He worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings Tuesday, allowing one hit and striking out three.
The Wiz have struggled at the plate recently, scoring two or fewer runs in four of their past five contests. The bullpen has been a bright spot: relievers Ju Kwon and Woo Kyu-min combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday.
These teams have split four meetings this season. Shinsegae has won three of those games, including a three-game sweep at home in late April.
According to Interstat’s game simulator, KT is projected to win 4-2. The Wiz hold a 55.60 percent win probability in Interstat’s ELO system.
The series continues Thursday with another matchup at Suwon Baseball Stadium. KT will then host Hanwha for a weekend series, while Shinsegae returns home to face LG.