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Struggling KBO contenders set for midweek clash

Published: 11 Aug. 2025, 11:28

Hanwha Eagles players leave Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju after losing to the Kia Tigers 3-2 in their Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game on Aug. 1. [YONHAP]

A pair of slumping postseason contenders will square off in a critical midweek series in Korean baseball, each hoping to right the ship with fewer than 40 games left in the regular season.

The Hanwha Eagles, in second place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at 61-42-3 (wins-losses-ties), will host the third-ranked Lotte Giants (58-48-3) for a three-game series starting Tuesday at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon.

The Eagles have the league's worst winning percentage in August at 2-5-0. They barely avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the first-place LG Twins (65-42-2) over the weekend, winning the finale 5-4 on Sunday after dropping the first two games. The Eagles now trail the Twins by two games.

The Eagles' bullpen, which had been their strength all season, has completely fallen apart in August. Their relievers have pitched to a 6.84 ERA in seven games this month while allowing a disastrous .951 on-base plus slugging (OPS) against their opponents. Both are the worst marks in the KBO in August.

Their All-Star closer Kim Seo-hyeon, in particular, is mired in the worst stretch of the season. After allowing eight earned runs in his first 46 1/3 innings in 47 outings, Kim has surrendered eight earned runs in his past 2 2/3 innings across four appearances.

In Sunday's game, Kim took the mound with a 5-2 lead but allowed two runs on three hits before locking down his 25th save of the year.

In contrast, the Eagles' starting rotation has been excellent throughout the year. The leader of the bunch, Cody Ponce, will take aim at history in his next start, scheduled for Tuesday.

Hanwha Eagles outfielder Son Ah-seop looks on at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Aug. 1. [YONHAP]

Ponce has won his first 14 straight decisions of this season, tying the KBO record set by Chong Min-tae of the Hyundai Unicorns in 2003 and matched by Hector Noesi of the Kia Tigers in 2017. A win in his next start will push Ponce's record to 15-0 and further bolster his MVP case.

Ponce will be licking his chops against a Giants offense that has gone anemic in recent games.

The Giants have dropped three straight games and have scored just once over their past 21 innings. With a team batting average of .204 this month, the Giants are the only team without a home run in August, and they have had just one extra-base hit in 137 at-bats.

To put it in perspective: For this month, the Giants have an OPS of .490 and the NC Dinos have a slugging percentage of .577.

For the season, the Giants still lead the KBO in team batting average and hits. Given their middling pitching staff, though, they often have to outscore their problems on the mound, and they're in trouble when their bats go quiet.

The Giants are now closer to fifth place than they are to second place — 4 1/2 games behind the Eagles but four games up on the fifth-place KT Wiz (54-52-4).

Sandwiched between the Giants and the Wiz are the SSG Landers (53-49-4), who have quietly put together the second-best winning percentage in August at 5-3-0.

The Landers will have a six-game home stand in the western city of Incheon this week — three against the last-place Kiwoom Heroes (33-73-4) and then three more against the Twins.

Before visiting the Landers, the Twins will have three road games against the Wiz in Suwon, Gyeonggi.

The Twins are the only club with a winning record against every opponent this season. They hold a 6-4-0 edge over the Wiz in their season series so far.

The hot-hitting Dinos (48-49-6) are trying to stay in the race, just 1 1/2 games out of fifth and the final postseason spot. They visit the ninth-place Doosan Bears (45-58-5) for three games before hosting the Eagles at home in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, to close out the week.

Yonhap