SEOUL — The LG Twins, who last savored victory in the Korean Series in 1994, are gearing up to challenge the KT Wiz in a bid to end their nearly three-decade championship drought in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
According to Yonhap News Agency, when the Twins celebrated their previous championship, the KBO was composed of only eight teams, with the Wiz yet to be established. The Wiz, who entered the league in 2015 as the 10th team, captured their first Korean Series championship within six years of their inception.
The upcoming best-of-seven Korean Series, commencing Tuesday, pits the seasoned LG Twins against the relatively new KT Wiz, with the Twins striving to bridge a 29-year gap and the Wiz aiming for their second title in three seasons. The series opener is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.
The Twins topped the regular season with an 86-56-2 record, securing a direct pass to the Korean Series and home-field advantage for the initial two games, as well as for Games 5 through 7 if they extend that far.
On the other side, the Wiz, who finished the regular season 6.5 games adrift of the Twins, will host the third and fourth games at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, situated to the capital's south.
Since their last regular-season game on October 15, the Twins have engaged in scrimmages to maintain competitiveness. The Wiz had a 19-day interval between their regular season's end and the start of their preceding series against the NC Dinos, which they concluded in five games over a week to secure their spot in the Korean Series.
The Twins boast a large fanbase eager for success after a prolonged title hiatus. This series marks their first appearance in the championship round since 2002. They held the upper hand in regular-season encounters against the Wiz, winning 10 of 16 matchups. Casey Kelly, the Twins’ leading pitcher, is set to start Game 1, after maintaining a 3.96 ERA in his four starts against the Wiz.
Jung Woo-young, a relief pitcher for the Twins, has earned three wins against the Wiz this season, a notable contrast to his performance against other teams. Closer Go Woo-suk will enter the series overcoming a recent back strain, deemed muscular without structural damage, indicating his availability for the games.
The Twins may have a tactical edge, as they will not face Wiz’s left-hander Wes Benjamin, who boasts a formidable 0.84 ERA against them, until at least Game 3 due to rotation scheduling after the Wiz's series with the NC Dinos.
The Twins have excelled offensively, leading the regular season in batting average and on-base plus slugging, while registering the least number of strikeouts and the most walks. However, other Wiz starters have experienced difficulty against the Twins' potent lineup.
In contrast, the Wiz's bullpen, including setup man Son Dong-hyun and eighth-inning pitcher Park Yeong-hyun, have struggled against the Twins, showing ERA's of 4.50 and 7.20, respectively.
On the offensive front for the Twins, Hong Chang-ki shone with a .364 batting average against the Wiz, while the team also led the league in stolen bases, including 33 against the Wiz alone.
For the Wiz, Bae Jung-dae posted a .429 batting average against the Twins, with Anthony Alford adding three homers to his tally against the Twins' pitchers.