LG Twins players held up a single finger after their 15-4 victory in Game 4 of the Korean Series (KS) at Katie Wise Park in Suwon, South Korea, on Nov. 11.
It meant, “We are one win away from winning the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years.
KT WIZ manager Lee Kang-cheol vowed to rebound after Game 4, saying, “We won three straight games after losing two in the playoffs against the NC Dinos.”
In the best-of-seven Korean Series, LG swept Games 2 through 4 after losing Game 1 to take a 3-1 lead.
The team aims to celebrate in Game 5 at home in Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium on Nov. 13.
With their backs against the wall, KT will be looking to push the series to Games 6 and 7.
Until last year, the team that took a 3-1 lead (including a tie) in the Korean Series had taken home the trophy 16 out of 17 times (94.1%).
Only the 2013 Samsung Lions managed to “come from behind” by winning Games 5-7 from a 1-3 deficit.
After winning the regular season title and advancing directly to the Korean Series, LG won Games 2 through 4 to build momentum.
In particular, the LG bats exploded for eight home runs in Games 2 and 3, scoring 28 runs.
LG, which ranked first in the regular season with a team OPS of .755, has continued to rely on its bats to get them over the hump in the Korean Series.
In the Korean Series this year, LG has a team batting average of 0.324 and an OPS of 0.954.
Oh Ji-hwan has been the mainstay of the LG lineup, going 6-for-15 (.400 batting average) with eight RBIs, including a home run in three straight games. Park Dong-won went 13-for-5 (.385 batting average) with two home runs and four RBIs, while Austin Dean exploded for 16-for-6 (.375 batting average) with one home run and five RBIs.
Moon Bo-Kyung has also been a force in the bottom of the order, going 13-for-6 (.462 batting average) with one home run and four RBIs.
KT also posted a respectable Korean Series team batting average (0.267) and OPS (0.708), but LG had more firepower.
While Bae Ji-dae is 11-for-5 (.455) with two RBIs and Hwang Jae-gyun is 14-for-5 (.357) with four RBIs, the likes of Park Byung-ho (2-for-15) and Anthony Alford (2-for-12) have struggled, leaving plenty of missed opportunities.
However, KT is confident that it can outplay LG in the ‘starting battle’ in Games 5-7.
KT could use Ko Young-pyo, William Cuevas, and Wes Benjamin in Games 5-7 after starting them in Games 1-3. Considering that one loss would make them the losers of the Korean Series, they could use one of the three starters in the bullpen to give their tired rotation a boost.
After pitching flawlessly through the playoffs and Game 1 of the Korean Series, KT’s bullpen of Son Dong-hyun and Park Young-hyun were targeted by LG’s hitters in Game 2 of the Korean Series.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol rested Son and Young-hyun in Game 4. With two consecutive days of rest before the 12th, KT could have a chance to rebound if they regain their form.
LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop predicted a “total war in Game 5.
After Game 4, Yeom said, “The players, the front office, and the fans are working hard and the game is going well. Luck is also on our side,” he said, adding, “We don’t know what will happen in baseball until the end, so we will prepare well and do our best in Game 5.”
LG, which is eager to win its first Korean Series title in 29 years since 1994, is eager to hoist the trophy as soon as possible. LG fans who want to “intuit” the game have been fighting a ticket bidding war, and those who can’t get tickets are constantly going back and forth to the ticketing site waiting for canceled tickets. 스포츠토토사이트