After KT’s 13-2 demolition of SSG on Monday, the Landers face an almost impossible task on Tuesday – sending rookie Kim Min-jun to the mound against KT’s veteran workhorse William Sauer. This matchup is about as lopsided as it gets on paper.
Starting Pitchers
Kim Min-jun (SSG) – 0W 1L, 8 IP, ERA 7.88, WHIP 1.88. The young SSG righty relies on a fastball-heavy approach (143km/h, 51%) with a forkball (130km/h, 31%). Limited sample size, but the 7.88 ERA and 0-0 record vs KT (with a 0.00 ERA in that tiny sample) makes this a tough read. SSG is clearly in a tough spot.
William Sauer (KT) – 6W 3L, 81? IP, ERA 4.20, WHIP 1.30. The KT veteran is the clear favorite here. He mixes four pitches effectively (fastball 147km/h 33%, sweeper 128km/h 19%, cutter 142km/h 17%) and has pitched into the 6th inning consistently all season. His 0-1 record vs SSG with a 9.00 ERA is the one concern, but with KT’s offense surging, it barely matters.
Key Matchup
Kim Jae-hwan (SSG) (.205 BA, 11 HR, 43 hits) needs to be the difference-maker – he has pop but the .205 average against KT’s pitching is alarming. On the KT side, Kim Hyun-su (.295 BA, 5 HR, 84 hits) has been one of the most consistent bats in the league and has driven in runs in 6 straight games.
Team Context
KT (2nd, 42-1-28) is on a roll with a .600 win rate – the second-best in the KBO. SSG (9th, 29-2-41) has gone 4-0-6 against KT this season and is severely outmatched in every statistical category right now.
Prediction: KT wins 8-2. There’s almost no scenario where SSG wins this game. Kim Min-jun simply doesn’t have the experience or stuff to handle KT’s lineup coming off a 13-2 blowout where their confidence is at a season high. Sauer will settle in after the early innings and go 6+, while KT’s offense – led by Hilliard, Kim Hyun-su, and Ahn Hyeon-min – puts this one away early. Back-to-back blowout wins for the Wiz.