The battle for fifth place is as fierce as the race for the title.
While the top four is somewhat compressed, the battle between the fifth-place SSG Landers and the sixth-place KIA Tigers continues. Through two days, SSG has 67 wins, 3 ties, and 63 losses, while 6th-place KIA has 64 wins, 2 ties, and 65 losses, separated by 2.5 games. 캡틴토토 The gap widened when the two teams met in Incheon on September 30-October 1, with SSG scoring back-to-back late wins.
However, it’s not time for SSG to rest on its laurels or for KIA to give up. With two fewer games played than SSG, the standings could change depending on the rest of the schedule. “We still have 13 games left,” said KIA head coach Kim Jong-guk, whose team was considered to be out of the top five after losing back-to-back games against SSG. We will definitely have a chance during the remaining games,” he said, his eyes shining.
As the LG Twins traveled to Busan for their game against Lotte on the 4th, all eyes were on SSG and KIA’s victories. If SSG and KIA can hold off the two teams chasing them in second (KT) and third (NC), LG will clinch its first regular season title in 29 years, regardless of the outcome of the remaining eight regular season games.
The NC-SSG game was played at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 3rd. SSG came from behind to win 9-7. Seo Jin-yong and Oh Tae-gon share their joy.
Incheon was the first to break the news to LG. Down 0-5 to NC through four innings, SSG turned the game around with three runs in the fifth and a five-run big inning in the sixth. In the bottom of the eighth inning, SSG scored an additional run, which effectively decided the game. All that remained was the Suwon KIA-KT game, which was tied 1-1 going into the eighth inning, and if KIA won, LG could sit back and clinch the regular season title.
After a tight pitching battle in Suwon, the game came down to the bottom of the ninth inning.
In the top of the ninth, KT sent Kim Jae-yoon, the league’s second-leading saves leader (30), to the mound. Against Kim Jae-yoon, however, KIA put runners in scoring position when Kim Do-young led off with a single to left followed by a stolen base, and Kim Sun-bin took advantage of the advanced defense to get a bunt down the line and convert it into a hard-hit single to right. With Kim on second and Socrates Brito at first and third on a sacrifice fly, Lee Woo-seong lunged at a low pitch from Kim Jae-yoon and bunted. The ball bounced around home plate and landed just inside the first base line, allowing the runner from third to cross home plate. With a two-run lead, KIA brought in closer Jung Hae-young in the bottom of the ninth and pitched one scoreless inning to secure the win.
The 2023 KBO League game between the KT Wiz and the KIA Tigers was held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on March 3. KIA players celebrate after winning the game.
The tenacity of SSG and KIA, who are fighting for the last ticket to the final five, led to a butterfly effect that ended LG’s 29-year wait for the magic number.