KT at Kiwoom

SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — The first-place KT Wiz take on the last-place Kiwoom Heroes on Saturday afternoon/evening at Gocheok Sky Dome, looking to extend their dominance in a series that has been one-sided this season.

KT (30-20-1) arrives with the best record in the league and has won four of its last five games overall. The Wiz are coming off a 7-1 victory over the Heroes on Friday, a game in which right-hander Matthew Sauer delivered a dominant start, and will send him to the mound again looking for his fifth straight win. Sauer has been stellar over his last five outings, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.22 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Most recently, he held Kiwoom to one run on four hits over seven innings, striking out three.

Kiwoom (20-32-1) has lost four straight and nine of its last 11. The Heroes managed only one run Friday and have scored two or fewer in seven of their last nine losses. Their pitching staff has been a major concern, posting a 5.14 ERA over the past 10 games.

Bae Dong-hyun, who took the loss Friday despite a serviceable performance, gets the start for Kiwoom. In that outing, he allowed one run on six hits over six innings with four strikeouts. However, Bae has struggled overall this season, with a 7.20 ERA over his last four starts, including a disastrous start May 12 in which he surrendered 11 hits and eight earned runs in three innings.

The Wiz lead the season series 4-1-1, with two shutout wins and a tie. The teams play again Sunday in the series finale, then split for separate series next week: KT returns home to face LG, while Kiwoom travels to take on Shinsegae Landers.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-3 KT victory, and the ELO system gives the Wiz a 65.2% probability of winning. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon/evening at the dome.