BEARS AT TIGERS

GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kia Tigers and Doosan Bears, separated by half a game in the standings, meet Saturday evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in a critical Korea Baseball Organization matchup.

Kia (33-30-2) holds a narrow edge over Doosan (32-30-2) entering the second game of their weekend series. The Bears took the opener 4-2 on Friday, snapping a two-game skid and tightening the race.

Left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong is scheduled to start for Kia. The veteran struggled in Friday’s loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits over five innings with two strikeouts. He has dropped three consecutive decisions, posting a 3.68 ERA over that span while failing to complete six innings in any of those outings. Yang last earned a win May 23 against Shinsegae.

Doosan counters with right-hander Choi Min-seok, who was dominant in Friday’s win. Choi worked seven innings, surrendering one earned run on two hits while striking out eight. The performance continued an up-and-down season: he tossed seven shutout innings against NC Dinos on May 19 but was tagged for five earned runs over five innings against KT Wiz on May 26.

Doosan’s offense received a boost Friday from catcher Yang Eui-ji, who homered and drove in a run. The Bears have won four of their past six games.

Kia saw its three-game winning streak snapped Friday. The Tigers had scored 20 runs during that stretch before being held to two runs on five hits in the series opener.

Weather at first pitch is forecast for 77 degrees with clouds.

The teams have split four meetings this season in Gwangju, with Doosan winning two of the past three. Kia took the series opener May 13 by a 9-2 margin, but the Bears responded with a 5-1 victory May 12.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 Kia victory, with the Tigers holding a 56 percent win probability according to the ELO system.

Saturday’s game is the second of a three-game set. The series concludes Sunday before both teams face division opponents next week. Doosan travels to Seoul for a three-game series against LG Twins beginning June 19, while Kia visits KT Wiz for a three-game set starting June 19.