SUWON, South Korea (Interstat) — The KT Wiz host the Samsung Lions on Thursday evening at Suwon Baseball Stadium, with the first-place Wiz looking to build on a two-game winning streak against their division rivals. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. under clear skies with a temperature of 71 degrees.

KT (36-24) enters the game with a three-game lead atop the standings, while Samsung (33-26-1) sits in third place, three games back. The Wiz have won the first two games of this week’s series, defeating the Lions 5-2 on Tuesday and 4-3 on Wednesday. Thursday’s game marks the finale of the three-game set before both clubs move on to weekend series.

Players to watch

Samsung shortstop Lee Jae-hyeon has been a key offensive contributor but has struggled in the series so far. After going 1 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss, he was held hitless in one at-bat Tuesday. Over his last five games, Lee is 2 for 13 with two homers and four RBIs. He had a productive stretch in late May, going 3 for 3 with an RBI against Lotte on May 24 and 2 for 3 with two homers and two RBIs against Shinsegae on May 28.

KT right-hander Matthew Sauer (4-1) is scheduled to start. He earned the win Wednesday against the Lions, allowing two earned runs on one hit with five strikeouts over six innings. Sauer has been effective recently, posting a 2.35 ERA over his last three starts, including a seven-inning, one-run outing against Kiwoom on May 29.

Recent history

The teams have split their season series 3-3 heading into Thursday. The Lions won three of four games in early April, but the Wiz have claimed three of the last four meetings, including both games this week. Samsung has lost eight of its last 10 games overall, while KT has won seven of its last 10.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 victory for KT, with the Wiz holding a 51.4 percent win probability according to the ELO system.

Samsung will return home to face the Shinsegae Landers in a three-game series starting Friday. KT will host the NC Dinos for a three-game set beginning Friday.