Lotte manager Yang Seung-ho (third from left), Doosan manager Kim Jin-wook (third from right) and player representatives take part in a media event in Seoul on Sunday. The two clubs will open the KBO playoffs on Monday. (Yonhap News)
Managers and players of the two teams in the opening playoff round in South Korean baseball both expressed confidence they would clinch the series victory on Sunday, a day before their first matchup.
The Doosan Bears and the Lotte Giants will clash in the first round playoff round in the Korea Baseball Organization starting Monday. The Bears, which finished third in the regular season, will hold the home field advantage over the fourth-seed Giants in their best-of-five series.
The Bears, based in Seoul, will host the first two games plus the fifth game, if necessary, at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. The Giants, based in Busan, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will host the third and, if necessary, the fourth game at Sajik Stadium. Weekday games will start at 6 p.m., and weekend matches will begin at 2 p.m.
At a media day event held Sunday at Jamsil, managers of the two teams each said their club will emerge victorious in the end.
“Our players battled all year to finish in third place,” said Kim Jin-wook, the Bears‘ manager. “In the playoffs, our club has long been known as the team of miracles. We will try to create more miracles this year.”
The Bears ended the regular season with 68 wins, 62 losses and three ties. They’re back in the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Yang Seung-ho, the Giants‘ manager, said his players will take their lessons learned from the regular season into the playoffs.
“We had a great start to the season and stumbled through September and October,” said Yang, whose team suffered two losing streaks of seven games and then five games to fall from second in September to fourth in October. They ended with a 65-62-6 record to make their fifth straight playoffs.
“It taught us just how difficult baseball can be,” Yang added. “But I think our players have learned a lot from that, and they will take care of business in the playoffs.”
The Bears have the edge in head-to-head meetings this season, with 10 wins, eight losses and one tie.
Dustin Nippert, former Major League Baseball pitcher, will start the opening game for the Bears. Right-hander Song Seung-jun, who once pitched in the U.S. minor leagues, will take the mound for the Giants.
Nippert went 11-10 with an ERA of 3.20 this year, his second in the KBO. He was 3-1 against the Giants with a 2.13 ERA, with two complete games.
Song went 7-11 with a 3.31 ERA, and failed to reach double figures in victories for the first time since 2007. He closed out the season on a strong note, however, giving up just one earned run in his final 19 1/3 innings over three starts.
Two players from each team accompanied their managers for the media day. Kim Hyun-soo, Doosan’s left fielder, said he has the utmost faith in his starting pitchers.
“We‘ve been an offensive team in the past, but this year, our pitchers have carried us into the postseason,” said Kim, a career .319 hitter who put up a .291 average this season. “As long as we score first, I think our starters will preserve that lead for the victory. I believe all of our starters will throw three complete game shutouts in this series.”
Lee Yong-chan, who will likely start the second game for the Bears, enjoyed a career year with 10 wins and a 3.00 ERA, both personal highs. Best known for his sinking fastball, Lee said, “I’ve got my major weapon, and I will face Lotte hitters heads on.”
Lotte‘s catcher Kang Min-ho, who led the team with 19 home runs, said the Giants have put their late-season swoon all behind them.
“It was a struggle toward the finish, but we know we can only go up from here,” he said. “We will prepare the best we can and try to have fun playing postseason baseball." (Yonhap News)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
