2 wins and 6 losses. A dominant head-to-head record. The SSG Landers are aiming to win the title for the second year in a row, but can they reach their goal?
The three-game series between SSG and LG at the Incheon Stadium on the 27th was like a ‘preview of the Korean Series’ before the first half ended. The two teams are currently the two favorites. They are separated by more than five games from third-place NC, and unlike the chaotic mid-table, the race for first and second place is solid.
Last year, SSG held onto the top spot from the opening game to the end to win the overall title, and LG came in as a challenger after last year’s disappointment. However, this year is different from last year. Last year, SSG dominated from the start of the season, and LG seemed to catch up until the very end, but this year, the two teams are in a tight battle. The number one and two spots are changing every day.
But when it comes to head-to-head, LG dominates. In the head-to-head matchups between the two teams this season, LG leads 6-2. In particular, LG took the first two games of the midweek series in Incheon, the last matchup of the first half. Both games were won by LG.
On the first day, the 27th, the bats exploded from the start, leading to a 14-0 victory, while the next day, the 28th, SSG took an early lead before LG came back to win the game. LG’s late-game demolition of SSG’s best team saw them come back from a 1-6 deficit to win the final game 8-6. 메이저사이트
This is definitely a concern for SSG, who will have to defend their title. There’s still half a season left, but they can’t afford to let their guard down. In order to be competitive in the second half of the season, they need to have some sort of stable win total in the first half. This is especially true if you’re a championship contender. Furthermore, the team’s poor head-to-head record against LG is definitely a concern.
Coach Kim Won-hyung also commented on the deficit against LG, saying, “We played nine games in the first half and still have seven more in the second half. Even if we lose now, we have to be prepared to turn it around later,” but he also said, “I don’t actually feel good about it.” Nerves are bound to be a factor.
SSG’s biggest concern right now is the absence of starting pitching and the resulting bullpen overload. With Kirk McCarty out with an injury, the rest of the starting staff hasn’t been able to handle long innings. With more and more games where starters are pulled before the fifth inning, the bullpen is naturally stretched thin, and the lack of reliable long relief is a concern.
The batting lineup is also jagged. While core pitcher Choi Jung is steady, the top and bottom of the batting order has been up and down with injuries to elite members like Kim Sung-hyun, Jeon Eui-san, and Choo Shin-soo, and the team needs to revitalize the bat of Han Yoo-seom, who is batting in the teens. For now, the pressure is on Choi Jeong and Guillermo Heredia, so the bottom of the batting order naturally carries less weight.
We still don’t know what the final standings will look like in the second half, but at this rate, SSG and LG are the favorites to meet in the Korean Series. So far, though, the only difference between the two teams is their power. LG has a solid two-hit balance and mobility advantage, while SSG has a relative