AP Sports Preview

GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kia Tigers host the Shinsegae Landers on Tuesday evening at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, with first pitch set under cloudy skies and a temperature of 76 degrees.

Kia (42-35-1) enters the game in strong form, having won four of its past five games, highlighted by a 12-1 rout of the Doosan Bears on Sunday. The Tigers hold the second-best record in the league and have dominated the season series against Shinsegae, winning four of five meetings, including a three-game sweep in Gwangju from May 22-24.

Shinsegae (30-45-2) has lost four straight and seven of its past 10. The Landers are mired in the bottom half of the standings and have struggled to generate consistent offense, scoring three runs or fewer in six of their past eight games.

Players to watch

Landers left fielder Kim Jae-hwan enters on a hot streak, going 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs in Sunday’s 6-3 loss to Hanwha. Over his past 10 games, Kim is batting .333 (11 for 33) with four homers and 11 RBIs. He had a breakout performance June 20 against NC, going 4 for 5 with three home runs and seven RBIs.

Tigers center fielder Kim Ho-ryung has been equally productive, going 3 for 6 with a home run and five RBIs in Kia’s 12-1 win Sunday. Over his past 10 games, he is hitting .326 (14 for 43) with two homers and 14 RBIs. Kim has recorded at least one hit in nine of his past 10 contests.

Head-to-head

The Tigers swept the Landers in Gwangju in May, winning 5-2, 5-4 and 3-2. Shinsegae took two of three at home in late March, winning 7-6 and 11-6. Kia has outscored the Landers 25-26 in the season series but holds a 3-1 advantage in games decided by two runs or fewer.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 Kia victory, with the Tigers holding a 62.3 percent win probability per the ELO system.

Up next

The teams continue their three-game series Wednesday and Thursday at Gwangju. Shinsegae returns home Friday to host Samsung for three games, while Kia hosts NC for a weekend set.