Lions to strengthen lead in third week of KBO

By Baek Byung-yeul

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Korea’s top baseball league, saw exciting games and a bunch of records set last week.

The Seoul-based Doosan Bears’ Cuban pitcher Yunesky Maya threw the KBO’s 12th no-hitter on Thursday against the Nexen Heroes, while NC Dinos first baseman Eric Thames became the league’s 17th hitter to hit for the cycle by going five for five with a single, two doubles, a triple and a solo homer during his team’s game against the Kia Tigers on the same day. Also, the KT Wiz, the new KBO club this season, finally grabbed a historic first win on Saturday defeating the Heroes 6-4 in Seoul. Prior to that, the Wiz had lost their first 11 games of the season. The Wiz also won its first series on Sunday after a 5-3 victory over the Heroes.

Meanwhile, the reigning champion Samsung Lions seem to have established themselves at the top of the standings, perhaps for some time to come.

The Lions, who are leading the league with a record of 9-4, will this week play the Hanwha Eagles, who are eighth in the standings, as well as the Wiz, who sit 10th and last.

The Lions, who won five and lost one last week against the Lotte Giants and the Kia Tigers, lead the league thanks to their starting pitchers, who have recorded 10 “quality starts”

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meaning an outgoing performance in which the starting pitcher lasts at least six innings and gives up three runs or fewer

which is the most in the league.

With two strong imported pitchers ― Tyler Cloyd and Alfredo Figaro, who are ranked fifth and seventh in ERA (earned-run average) at 2.77 and 2.84, respectively ― and reliable relief pitcher An Ji-man who leads the league with five holds, and closer Lim Chang-yong, who has the league’s second-most saves with four, it seems hard to find flaws with the team. The Lions were also impressive at the plate, with a league-leading 19 homers and 114 hits to date.

The Lions will meet the Eagles in a three-game series in Daejeon and return home for three games against the Wiz.

The SK Wyverns hope to challenge the Lions’ lead in the standings.

After sweeping its first three games with the Wiz last week, the Incheon-based team also won its series against the Dinos. On Monday, the Wyverns sat second in the KBO at 8-4, only a half-game behind the Lions.

The early success of the Wyverns, who finished fifth last season, is largely credited to the return of pitcher Jung Woo-ram.

The 29-year-old lefty, who left the mound for the last two seasons to fulfill his military duty, was arguably the KBO’s top relief pitcher with 114 holds, which is fourth-best in KBO history. Making his comeback this season, he has shown his dominance on the mound again, allowing no runs while throwing six innings in six games. In addition, he has recorded two wins and one hold.

The Wyverns will host the Heroes, who stand ninth at 4-8, at their Munhak Baseball Stadium home in Incheon for a three-game series, and then face the LG Twins, who sit seventh at 6-7, for another three games.

The Heroes, the runner-cup team last season, seem to have lost their driving force to bounce back as the team’s second-baseman Seo Geon-chang will be out for three months with a torn right knee ligament, an injury he suffered after colliding with Doosan Bears first baseman Ko Young-min on Thursday. Seo set the KBO’s single-season record with 201 hits last year.

Heroes manager Yeom Gyeong-yeob tried to maintain his composure while talking to reporters the day after the incident, saying, “The absence of Seo will be a chance for other players,” but that might take some time as his absence has already been felt on the scoreboard.

After meeting the Wyverns in Incheon, the Heroes will move onto Gwangju to play the Tigers, who currently share the league’s fourth-best record with the Giants at 7-5.