Doosan at NC
CHANGWON, South Korea (Interstat) — The Doosan Bears visit the NC Dinos on Sunday evening at Masan Baseball Stadium, with both clubs looking to gain ground in the Korea Baseball Organization standings.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. under cloudy skies and 80-degree temperatures.
Doosan (44-41-2) enters having won its last outing, a 7-0 shutout of the Shinsegae Landers on July 9. Left-hander Zach Logue (W, 7-0) tossed five innings of five-hit ball with six strikeouts and no earned runs in that start. Over his past four appearances, the 30-year-old has a 2.45 ERA across 18 1/3 innings, though he was tagged for four earned runs in just one inning June 21 at LG.
NC (39-42-1) dropped its most recent game, a 6-4 loss at Hanwha on July 9. Southpaw Koo Chang-mo took the loss despite allowing only one earned run over five innings, scattering nine hits with four strikeouts. The 28-year-old has a 2.65 ERA over his last three starts (17 innings), with a 1-2 record.
The Bears and Dinos have played three consecutive scoreless games dating to Thursday, July 16 — all 0-0 outcomes — a stretch that includes two postponements or incomplete games. Prior to that, Doosan won the most recent completed meeting, 1-0 on May 21 in Seoul, and took two of three in a series March 28-29 at Masan.
Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 NC victory, with an ELO-based win probability of 52.7% for the home side.
For Doosan, Logue will look to build on a strong July. The lefty has held opponents to a .208 batting average in his last three outings, striking out 13 in 17 1/3 innings. First baseman Kang Seung-ho went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in the Bears’ win over Shinsegae, while third baseman An Jae-seok added a homer and two RBIs.
NC counters with Koo, who has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last five starts. Catcher Kim Hyung-jun drove in two runs with a home run in the loss to Hanwha, and second baseman Park Min-woo also homered.
The Bears continue a road trip Tuesday at KT Wiz, while the Dinos travel to LG.