Doosan at LG

SEOUL, South Korea (Interstat) — The LG Twins host the Doosan Bears on Friday evening at Jamsil Stadium, with first pitch set under cloudy skies and 83-degree temperatures.

LG (42-26-2) enters with the league’s best record and a 65.20 percent win probability per Interstat’s ELO system, which projects a 5-4 final. Doosan (34-33-2) looks to build on a 2-1 win over KT Wiz on Thursday, when right-hander Choi Min-seok earned the victory with six innings of one-run ball.

Choi, who will start Friday, is 3-2 over his last five outings with a 2.68 ERA, striking out 27 in 29 innings. He allowed one earned run in each of his past three starts, including a seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Kiwoom on June 6.

The Bears are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are coming off a series win over KT after dropping the first two games. Doosan’s offense has been inconsistent, averaging 3.8 runs over that stretch.

LG counters with right-hander Anders Tolhurst, who is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his last three outings. He allowed seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings against Lotte on June 12, then surrendered three earned runs in six innings Thursday in a 4-2 loss at Kia.

The Twins own the league’s best home record and have won seven of their last 10. They swept a three-game series against Lotte last weekend before dropping two of three at Kia.

These teams last met May 5-7, with LG winning two of three at home, including a 6-1 victory on May 6. Doosan won the most recent meeting, 3-2, on May 7. In six games this season, LG holds a 4-2 edge.

Friday’s game is the opener of a three-game weekend series, followed by a Saturday afternoon matchup and a Sunday afternoon finale. The Bears then travel to Hanwha for three games, while LG hosts Samsung for three games.

Key contributors for Doosan on Thursday included relievers Lee Young-ha and Lee Yong-chan, who each tossed a scoreless inning. LG’s bullpen allowed two runs in three innings Thursday, with Ham Deok-ju surrendering a run in the ninth.