The KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions will play the fifth game of the 2024 Korean Series (KS, best of seven games) at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field (Champill) at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Having recorded three wins and one loss through the fourth game, Kia has only one win left until its 12th KS championship. It is also advantageous to Kia that its fifth and seventh games will be held at its home stadium, Champill, as a chance to win the regular season title. On the other hand, Samsung, which has advanced to the KS for the first time in nine years since 2015, is on the brink. The only way is to make three consecutive wins.토토사이트

Kia has a high probability of winning the championship. It seemed to be slowing down due to the loss in the third round of the series, but changed its mood by winning the fourth round. In the history of the KS, a team that had two wins and one loss to three wins and one loss amounts to 93.8 percent (15/16). Excluding Samsung (loss, loss, win) in 2013, there was no upset. A team with three wins and one loss has a higher probability of winning the championship at 94.4 percent (17/18). For Samsung, it should reverse the odds of winning the championship by less than 10 percent.

◇ A.C.E's turn vs. bullpen day

Following the second game of the series, Yang Hyeon-jong (179 wins in total), a Korean ace, will take the mound again. Yang allowed two runs (one earned run) in 5 1/3 innings in the second game held on the 23rd. He pitched 86 times. At the age of 36 years, seven months and 22 days, he won the KS starting title, breaking the record of oldest starting pitcher for a Korean player in KS set by Cho Gye-hyun (then Doosan Bears) in 2000 (formerly 26 years, six months and two days).

At the time, Yang said, "I think we need to set the stage as soon as possible when the mood comes. I think we need to prepare for the fifth game." As he usually takes the mound after four days of rest, he does not have too much physical strain.

The Samsung Lions predicted left-handed Lee Seung-hyun as its starting pitcher. Sang-sung, whose foreign pitchers Conor Seabold (scapula), veteran player Baek Jung-hyun (finger) and others were not included in the KS entry, did not have a proper starting pitcher for Game 5. Park Jin-man, who considered "bul pen day" early on, took the lead in Lee Seung-hyun, who was in the best form.

Lee pitched in the middle of Game 1 of the series, allowing two outs and three strikeouts in one inning. If Lee takes charge of the short innings, he plans to shift his posture to a more competitive bullpen session. In Game 4, he saved most of his must-winners' group and saved energy. "I was in a corner (because of the loss in Game 4). I will pour all I can into the fifth game," coach Park Jin-man said.

◇ Will "Cheers in Gwangju" be possible

Including the Haitai Tigers, Kia has won the championship 11 times, the most in the league. Coincidentally, only one championship was confirmed in Gwangju in 1987 (out of four games against Samsung). Other than that, the team garnered a victory in Seoul or away stadium, which is a neutral game. It is a golden opportunity to share the joy of winning the championship with home fans for the first time in 37 years.

Lee is constantly on his toes. Lee foresaw his performance in Game 5. "If we skip the game differently (to finish the series in Game 5), and proceed to Game 6 to Game 7, something wrong may happen," Lee said. "We need to calm down (even though we are close to winning the title)."

Samsung expects its batters to explode in order not to become a "victim of festival." Veteran right-handed hitters Kang Min-ho and Park Byung-ho posted batting average of 0.154 (two hits in 13 times at bat) and 0.067 (one hit in 15 times at bat), respectively. Only when Ryu Ji-hyuk (0.417) and Lewin Diaz (0.313) are available, can the team change the mood. The team also has high expectations on stellar performance by Kim Hun-gon, who hit home runs in Game 1 and Game 3.