Seoul: All regular-season games in South Korean baseball are not created equal, at least in the mind of LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb ahead of an eagerly anticipated weekend series against the Hanwha Eagles. They are the two best teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at the moment, with the Twins occupying first place at 63-41-2 (wins-losses-ties) and the Eagles sitting one game back in second place at 60-40-3. Their three-game series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul begins Friday night, with the possibility that the Eagles could be back on top by Sunday night.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Youm expressed his concerns about the upcoming series during a pregame media scrum. "I am a little stressed out about this series. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't the case," Youm stated. "We feel we'll have to face them at some point in the postseason." The Twins have a slight advantage in their season series against the Eagles, holding a 5-4-1 lead, with six more games left between them.
Youm emphasized the importance of maintaining the lead in head-to-head matchups. "I think it's important to stay ahead in our head-to-head matchups," he added. "It's always better to be considered a favorite heading into a postseason series than not." The Twins have been the KBO's standout team since the All-Star break in mid-July, boasting a 15-3-0 record. Youm credited the team's starting rotation and lineup for their recent success.
In the second half of the season, the Twins have led the KBO with a .291 batting average, a .367 on-base percentage, and a .455 slugging percentage. They have scored 105 runs in that span, more than any other team. "Our bullpen has been up and down, but our bats have been able to score enough runs to compensate for that," Youm explained. "That has allowed our middle relievers to bounce back after some tough outings."