Now the rain is no longer welcome. As the season draws to a close, stamina is depleted, and the schedule is becoming tighter. With four out of five games canceled the previous day (16th)안전놀이터 due to heavy rain in the southern region, KT Wiz and Hanwha Eagles face a fateful 9-game series.
KT Wiz and Hanwha Eagles were scheduled to face each other at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 16th, but the decision was made to cancel at 3:20 PM due to heavy rain. The game canceled on this day was rescheduled for Monday’s game to be held at the same location at 6:30 PM on the 18th.
If the season is early or mid-season, there is no burden on each team even if the game is canceled due to rain. Rather, cancellation due to moderate rain provides a pleasant rest for the players. Also, when the remaining game schedule is organized at the end of the season, a target starting rotation can be formed centered on aces depending on the situation.
But now the situation is very different. This is because, in a situation where a double header schedule is included, a series of deadly matches can occur. In the end, this turned into reality. Attention is focused on what impact this will have on future ranking battles.
KT is in second place in the league with 67 wins, 3 draws, and 54 losses this season. For KT, which is engaged in a fierce battle for ranking at the top, each game is now no different from the finals.
However, this time, it was inevitable that we would play 9 games in a row. First, the first and second games of the double header against Hanwha will begin at 2 p.m. on the 17th. Then, on the 18th, they will play a rescheduled game due to cancellation that day, and then face Samsung at their home stadium, KT Wiz Park in Suwon, on the 19th. On the 20th, they will also fight against ‘No. 1’ LG in their home room, and on the 21st, they will invite Lotte to Wiz Park.
They will move to Gwangju again on the 22nd and play a fateful three-game series against KIA until the 24th. There are a total of 9 consecutive matches. This season, KT has 7 games remaining against KIA, the most. However, from KT’s perspective, KIA is burdensome. This is because their record against their opponents is 2 wins and 7 losses this season. In addition, KIA is also ranked 4th with 60 wins, 2 draws, and 55 losses, so they have no choice but to give their all in every remaining game. Coach Lee Kang-cheol, who met with reporters on the 16th, also said, “We have now completed almost the entire schedule with teams competing for rankings, but we have the most games left against KIA. My head hurts. If this continues, the starting pitchers will only rest for 4 days. He expressed caution, saying, “We have to complete the starting rotation.”
Although Hanwha has moved away from the fall baseball battle, it is providing joy to Hanwha fans with a completely different appearance from last year. Last year, Hanwha finished the season in last place in the league with 46 wins, 2 draws, and 96 losses, with a winning percentage of 0.324. But this year is different. With 50 wins, 6 draws, and 64 losses, they have already surpassed the team win record they achieved last year. The winning percentage was also 0.439, an increase of more than 10% from last year. Here, the ranking is also in 8th place, not the bottom. There are 3.5 games to go with 7th place Lotte, and depending on the results of the remaining games, a higher ranking can be expected.
It became impossible for Hanwha to avoid the deadly 9-game schedule. After playing a three-game series against KT on the 17th and 18th, they will face SSG, Lotte, KIA, and Kiwoom in order from the 19th to the 22nd at home. Then, on the 23rd and 24th, they will move to Jamsil Stadium and face LG twice. It is also a 9-game schedule. Coach Choi Won-ho said on the 16th, “Sanchez will start in the first game of the doubleheader on the 17th. Then, one of Taeyang Lee and Seungju Han will start in the second game of the doubleheader and the game on Monday (18th).”
Manager Choi also said that there is a risk of injury in rainy games, saying, “Not to mention fielders, pitchers’ release points can go back and forth as their pivot feet and stepping feet all slip. Also, even if you put rosin on your hands, it will clump up.” A phenomenon occurs. Pitchers who sweat a lot have a harder time. This is also why fielders make throwing errors (in rainy games). It is difficult to produce proper performance. It is also quite dangerous when base running. He also expressed concern, saying, “If you do it wrong, you could get seriously injured.”