BASEBALL PREVIEW: KIA TIGERS AT SAMSUNG LIONS

DAEGU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Samsung Lions look to bounce back from a narrow defeat when they host the Kia Tigers on Saturday at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon, with clear skies and a game-time temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Samsung (23-16-1) holds a sizable lead over Kia (20-20-1) in the standings, but the Tigers enter with momentum after a 5-4 victory Friday in the series opener. Right-hander James Naile earned the win for Kia in that game, allowing one earned run on five hits over six innings with three strikeouts.

Naile will make his second consecutive start against the Lions on Saturday. The right-hander has been inconsistent this season, alternating strong outings with shaky ones. In his past six starts, Naile has three wins and three losses, posting quality starts in both victories. His most recent loss came May 3 against KT Wiz, when he surrendered six earned runs in five innings.

Samsung counters with right-hander Ariel Jurado, who also pitched Friday and took the loss despite a solid outing. Jurado allowed three earned runs on 10 hits over seven innings, striking out seven. He has been more reliable than Naile, winning four of his past six decisions. Jurado’s best start during that stretch came April 28 at Doosan, where he threw seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

The head-to-head series has been lopsided when considering the full season. The Tigers’ 5-4 win Friday snapped a two-game losing streak to the Lions, who had won the previous meetings 10-3 and 5-4 in early April. Friday’s game featured a productive offensive performance from Kia left fielder Park Jae-hyun, who went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.

Kia’s recent form has been mixed. The Tigers have won three of their past four games, including a 5-3 victory over Doosan on Thursday. Before that, they lost three of four to Lotte and Hanwha. Samsung enters Saturday having won six of its past eight games, though the Lions dropped two of three against LG earlier this week.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 victory for Samsung, and the ELO system gives the Lions a 58.80 percent probability of winning.

Following Saturday’s game, the teams meet again Sunday for the series finale. Kia then returns home for a six-game homestand against LG and Shinsegae. Samsung hosts KT Wiz for a three-game series before traveling to Lotte.