BASEBALL PREVIEW: KIA TIGERS vs. SHINSEGAE LANDERS

GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kia Tigers look to tighten their grip on second place when they host the Shinsegae Landers on Thursday night at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature of 70 degrees.

Kia (43-35-2) enters the game having won four of its last five games, including a 10-3 rout of the Landers on Tuesday and an 11-inning 6-6 tie Wednesday. The Tigers are coming off a series win at Doosan, taking two of three from the Bears.

Shinsegae (30-46-3) has lost 10 of its last 12 games. The Landers were swept at home by Hanwha over the weekend before splitting the first two games of this series.

The pitching matchup features two starters who faced each other Wednesday.

Right-hander Kim Min-jun (4-3, 3.82 ERA) will start for Shinsegae. In Wednesday’s tie, Kim allowed three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts over 4.2 innings. He is coming off his best start of the month — a win at KT Wiz on June 24 in which he allowed one earned run over five innings. Kim has struggled with command this season, walking 32 batters in 70.2 innings.

Left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong (8-4, 2.94 ERA) gets the nod for Kia. Yang also pitched Wednesday, allowing one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts over five innings. The 37-year-old veteran has been the Tigers’ most consistent starter, posting a 2.18 ERA over his last five starts. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any outing since May 24.

The teams have played seven times this season, with Kia holding a 4-2-1 edge. The Tigers have won four of the last five meetings, the lone exception being Wednesday’s tie.

Kia’s offense has been potent in the series, scoring 10 runs Tuesday behind Kim Kyu-sung’s three RBIs. Left fielder Guillermo Heredia has been productive for Shinsegae, going 3 for 6 with two RBIs in Wednesday’s game.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-2 Kia victory, giving the Tigers a 63.1 percent win probability.

The series continues Friday when the Tigers host the NC Dinos while the Landers return home to face the Samsung Lions. Kia and Shinsegae will meet again July 16-19 in Incheon.