Sophomore starter looking to maintain edge over Korean Series foes

▲ In this file photo from Oct. 30, 2021, KT Wiz starter So Hyeong-jun pitches against the SSG Landers in the bottom of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo from Oct. 27, 2021, Bae Jung-dae of the KT Wiz celebrates his RBI double against the NC Dinos in the bottom of the sixth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

▲ Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been pitches against the LG Twins in the top of the first inning during Game 2 of the first round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Nov. 5, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits an RBI single against the Samsung Lions in the bottom of the first inning during Game 2 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2021. (Yonhap)

Korean Series-matchups

Sophomore starter looking to maintain edge over Korean Series foes

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- KT Wiz starter So Hyeong-jun experienced a bit of a sophomore slump during the 2021 regular season in South Korean baseball, but he just happened to put up his best numbers against the very team that the Wiz will face for the league championship starting Sunday.

So was a mediocre 7-7 with a 4.16 ERA this year in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), compared with the 13-6 record and a 3.86 ERA that netted him the Rookie of the Year award in 2020.

But against the Doosan Bears, the Wiz's opponents for the Korean Series, So was a perfect 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts.

Most recently, on Oct. 14, So held the Bears to two runs in six innings while scattering seven hits for the win.

The Wiz boast five good starting pitchers, and manager Lee Kang-chul will have the luxury of turning one of them into a swingman out of the bullpen for the best-of-seven Korean Series. So will likely be part of a four-man rotation based on his track record.

The third-year starter William Cuevas had his worst ERA in the KBO at 4.12 this year, and he can blame the Bears for that. In five starts, the right-hander had a 7.30 ERA, allowing 20 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings on 31 hits, including four home runs.

The other foreign starter for the Wiz, Odrisamer Despaigne, had a 5.40 ERA in three starts versus the Bears, compared with his regular season mark of 3.39.

These pitchers could certainly use some offensive support, which could come from unlikely sources.

The team's best hitter, Kang Baek-ho, only batted .268/.388/.304 against the Bears. But light-hitting outfielder Bae Jung-dae went off for .351/.415/.439 with four extra-base hits against the same team.

Shortstop Shim Woo-jun hit .357 and stole three bases on the Bears. Infielder Park Kyung-su only had three hits in 22 at-bats versus the Bears, but all three of them were home runs.

The Bears didn't have much starting pitching to speak of during their postseason run to the Korean Series. Among their few remaining options, Gwak Been led the way with a 2.45 ERA and a 1-1 record. He was even better than the ace lefty Ariel Miranda, who pitched to a 4.26 ERA in five starts facing the Wiz. Miranda gave up more runs and hits against the Wiz than any other team in the regular season.

While Miranda is set to return from shoulder fatigue, Gwak is still dealing with lower back pains and remains a question mark for the Korean Series. If healthy, though, he could be the Game 1 starter.

So far this postseason, the Bears have been getting by with an opportunistic offense. They've scored 55 runs in seven games.

Key to that charge has been designated hitter Jose Miguel Fernandez. He was voted the MVP of the previous series against the Samsung Lions by hitting 5-for-9 with three RBIs in two games. The Cuban hitter also had excellent regular season numbers against the Wiz, with a .351 batting average in 15 games.

Cleanup Kim Jae-hwan smacked three home runs against KT pitching while also hitting three doubles and a triple in 16 games for a .357/.446/.607 line.

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