Forget about last year?

KIA Tigers achieved a remarkable profit of 18 wins against LG Twins and Samsung Lions in the 2024 season. They recorded an overwhelming winning percentage with 13 wins and 3 losses against LG and 12 wins and 4 losses against Samsung. They pulled out more than half of last year's total profit of 32 wins against these two teams. It was the driving force behind their 12th championship, while the two teams can be seen as having failed to win due to being blocked by KIA.

The reason Samsung and LG were weak against KIA last year was their bullpen. This year is different. Both LG and Samsung have reinforced their starting lineup and bullpen, and they have shown a strong performance since the opening. In contrast, KIA is struggling due to the injuries of Kim Do-young and Park Chan-ho at the beginning of the season, shaking their bullpen. They face the two teams this week eager for revenge.

During the off-season, LG successfully acquired KIA's winning pitcher Jang Hyun-sik for 5.2 billion won over 4 years. The strength of KIA's bullpen has weakened. Following that, they also signed free agent Kim Gang-ryul from Doosan with a 3+1 year contract and reinforced their team with NC's Shim Chang-min. With the addition of the outstanding rookie Kim Young-woo, who throws balls over 150 kilometers, the bullpen has certainly gained strength.

When the lid was finally opened, the starting pitchers delivered impressive performances. They are all pitching over 6 innings. New foreign player Yonny Chirinos contributed effectively with 6 innings and 2 earned runs in two consecutive games, while Eliezer Hernandez threw 7 scoreless innings. Lim Chan-kyu achieved a shutout victory, and Son Joo-young pitched 7 innings scoreless and another game with 4 earned runs over 6 innings. Song Seung-ki, who was chosen in the second round of the 2021 draft, contributed with a surprising performance of 7 scoreless innings.

The starting earned run average is only 1.50. Moreover, despite the absence of Jang Hyun-sik, the bullpen has shown stability with an earned run average of 3.00 (3rd place). The team's batting average has reached .330, making the balance between pitching and hitting the most perfect. With the solid performance of the players backed by strong defense, they have achieved 7 consecutive wins. They are currently showcasing their strongest form.

Samsung successfully reinforced their starting lineup by acquiring Yasiel Puig and Choi Won-tae. They captured the opening two-match series against Kiwoom Heroes, strongly using their bats. They stumbled a bit during the week, losing 1 and winning 2 against NC Dinos in a 3-game series, but secured a winning series against Doosan over the weekend at Jamsil. Puig performed admirably as an ace, and with Reyes and Won-tae finally activated last weekend, they have established a complete starting five.

Against KIA, Choi Won-tae and Lee Seung-hyun or Puig are expected to take the mound. The 7 billion won free agent Choi Won-tae had 4 earned runs in his first game of 5 innings but has been strong against KIA. Lee Seung-hyun was pulled out in the 4th inning during the NC game. He will seek revenge against KIA. Puig, who has thrown 6 innings with 2 earned runs and 8 innings with 2 earned runs, is a key player. The bullpen, bolstered by left-handed extraordinary Baechan-seung, has also gained strength.

Another strength of Samsung is their powerful scoring ability. They have scored 65 runs in 8 games, averaging 8 points per game. Kim Ji-chan, Kim Young-woong, Lee Jae-hyun, and Ryu Ji-hyeok have been on fire at the plate. Koo Ja-wook has been limited to .258, but has already gained 11 RBIs. Veteran Kang Min-ho is slightly struggling but it is not a significant burden. He can bounce back at any time.

In contrast, KIA's start this year has been sluggish compared to last year. They have managed just 3 wins and 5 losses. The dominance of last year's championship bullpen has diminished. Among their 5 losses, 4 were come-from-behind losses. They have suffered the humiliation of a 9th place bullpen ERA (8.07). Given the solid starting lineup, the bullpen needs to recover to compete at an equal level. The starting pitchers are listed in order as Yoon Young-chul, Kim Do-hyun, Nail Yang Hyun-jong, Adam Oller, and Yoon Young-chul. Yoon Young-chul, who will make two appearances, holds the key. Among the five starters, he is the only one who managed to pitch just 2 innings in the first game.

KIA has the biggest list in their lineup as well. They face Samsung and LG without Kim Do-young, who is out due to a thigh injury. Whether with the bat or on the base paths, Kim Do-young is an indispensable part of KIA's offense. Without Kim Do-young, KIA's lineup becomes much easier for opposing pitchers to face. The starting shortstop, Park Chan-ho, who suffered a knee injury, will also miss the game against Samsung. However, the fact that Patrick Wisdom is quickly adapting is encouraging. The fate of KIA relies heavily on Wisdom's bat.

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