Samsung at Kia

GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Samsung Lions and Kia Tigers face off Saturday in a split doubleheader at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, with first pitch for the afternoon game set under partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 70 degrees.

Samsung (32-23-1) holds a one-game edge over Kia (31-26-1) in the KBO standings. The teams enter the twin bill after the Tigers took Friday’s series opener 5-2, a game that set the stage for a quick rematch between the same two starting pitchers.

Left-hander Jack O’Loughlin (3-3) will take the ball for the Lions in the afternoon contest. O’Loughlin struggled in Friday’s loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits over five innings while striking out 11. He has been inconsistent of late, with a 2-2 record and 5.24 ERA over his last five starts, but he beat Kia on May 16 with six innings of two-run ball.

Right-hander Adam Oller (5-2) counters for the Tigers. Oller dominated Samsung on Friday, firing seven shutout innings with two hits allowed and nine strikeouts. He has been electric over his last three outings, posting a 0.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 19 innings, including a six-inning, one-hit shutout of Shinsegae on May 24.

Friday’s opener saw Park Seung-kyu homer and drive in two runs for Samsung, while Park Min went 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs for Kia. The Tigers have won four of the last six meetings between the teams, though the Lions took three of five from May 15-17.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 Kia victory for the afternoon game, though the ELO system gives Samsung a 50.7 percent win probability, making the matchup essentially a toss-up.

Following Saturday’s doubleheader, both teams wrap up the series Sunday before Samsung travels to face KT Wiz on Tuesday and Kia visits Hanwha Eagles.