PS First Suspended, postponed again to today… Game 1 resumes in the 6th inning with Samsung leading 1-0
Samsung has room to manage starting pitchers such as Won Tae-in… Koo Ja-wook is expected to gain some recovery time.
KIA Director Beom-ho Lee “I’m less nervous… “Our batters will show active hitting.”
The first game of the Korean Series between KIA and Samsung, which was declared a ‘suspended game’ for the first time in professional baseball postseason history, was postponed one more day due to ground conditions and will be held on the 23rd.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) canceled the first game of the Korean Series between KIA and Samsung, which was scheduled to resume at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju at 4 p.m. on the 22nd, and the second game scheduled to be held following the first game. The first game could not be held due to ground conditions, and the second game could not be held due to rain forecast in the Gwangju area that afternoon. The first game of the two canceled games will be held at 4 p.m. on the 23rd, and the second game will be held an hour after the end of the first game. If the first game ends before 5:30 PM, the second game starts at 6:30 PM. Game 1 starts again with Kim Young-woong at bat in the top of the 6th inning with Samsung leading 1-0 with no outs and first and second base.
There was not much rain in Gwangju on the afternoon of the 22nd. On this day, a KBO official said, “It is expected that it will take at least 3 hours to prepare the ground due to the rain that fell from the previous day to this morning, so we decided that it would be difficult to resume the suspended game in the first game at 4 p.m.,” and “There is rain forecast again from late afternoon.” “We decided to postpone the second game as well,” he said. Immediately after declaring the first game a suspended game on the 21st, Samsung coach Park Jin-man said, “Starting pitcher Won Tae-in was throwing well, and the offense went well… “He said with regret. However, the decision to cancel the first and second games on the 22nd was calmly accepted.
There are many predictions that the fact that the game was pushed back one day will be more advantageous to Samsung, which advanced through the playoffs (PO, 3 wins out of 5), rather than KIA, which ranked first in the regular season and advanced directly to the Korean Series. Samsung ended its PO with LG in Game 4 on the 19th, took a day off, and then began the Korean Series schedule on the 21st. Samsung also gained time for its main hitter, Koo Ja-wook, who suffered a knee injury while attempting to steal a base in Game 2 of PO on the 15th, to recover.
Samsung also had some breathing room in its starting mound operation. Currently, the two clear starting pitchers on Samsung’s mound are Won Tae-in, tied for first place in wins in the regular season (15 wins), and foreign right-hander Reyes. Because the Korean Series game was postponed for two days in a row, Reyes was able to pitch in the third game held in Daegu on the 25th after a five-day break. Reyes started in Game 4 of PO on the 19th and pitched 7 innings. Reyes may pitch one more time if the Korean Series continues until Game 7 (30th).
Won Tae-in, who started Game 1 on the 21st and threw 66 balls in 5 innings, is also scheduled to appear in Game 4 on the 26th after a four-day break. Won Tae-in said, “(Game 1) there were not many pitches, so I was able to rest for four days and prepare for Game 4 in good condition.” He added, “If the series goes to Game 7, I am in good enough shape to pitch regardless of starting or bullpen.” “He said.
KIA coach Lee Beom-ho said on this day, “Our players missed good balls in the first game, perhaps because they were nervous. “The tension will definitely be less since the first game will actually be played twice (with the suspended game declared),” he said. Also, “I think the remaining innings of Game 1 on the 23rd will be a bullpen battle. He expressed confidence, saying, “Our hitters who have adapted to the series atmosphere will show more active hitting than on the 21st.” KIA only had 2 hits in 5 innings in the first game on the 21st.
Gwangju = Reporter Lee Heon-jae uni@donga.com
Reporter Kang Hong-gu windup@donga.com