'KIA in the first round, leaving the second-place group to catch up' Open up to 5.5 games apart in the season. semifinal-6 weak → 1st-three-six weak terrain change
Jul 11, 2024
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With the KIA Tigers riding a five-game winning streak from the end of the first half, other second-place groups were sluggish, and game cars showed the biggest difference this season.
Until the first half, the largest game difference between the first and second places was a four-game difference recorded by KIA with 20 wins and 7 losses and NC with 16 wins and 11 losses on April 25. The other days were all close games within three games. So, fans' attention was always focused on the first- and second-place showdowns because the ranking could change when the sweep is made.
At the end of the first half, the trend began to change. On the 3rd, KIA and LG widened by 3.5 games, resulting in the second-largest game gap, and the first half ended like that.
And on the 9th, the first game of the second half, KIA won an 11-4 victory over LG, widening the gap by 4.5 games, making the first and second place the furthest this season.
And on the 10th, LG led 2-0 until the 8th inning, narrowing it to 3.5 games again, but KIA made it 2-2 with Choi Hyung-woo's equalizer in the top of the ninth inning and won 5-2, writing a reversal in the top of the 10th inning. The Doosan Bears, who were tied for second place on the day, also lost to KT Wiz 6-7 after 10 extra innings.
Samsung, which was fourth in the 5.5 game gap, jumped to second place, ahead of NC with a 15-6 victory, and Samsung, LG, and Doosan, which are tied for third place, will stand 5.5 games apart.
The ranking landscape seems to be changing with the start of the second half.
Until the end of June, the game gap between No. 1 KIA and No. 4 Doosan was only 3.5. KIA remains in first place, but four teams are fighting for first place, so it could be seen as a semifinal system. In July, KIA won consecutive games, other teams faltered, and the first and second place finished the first half by 3.5 games, but the first and second place groups widened to 5.5 games in the first two games of the second half.
Now, it seems right to put KIA in the first round and the other three teams in the second place group.
Six teams, from fifth place SSG to 10th place Kiwoom, are closely attached to each other by five games. The ranking of the lower ranks also changes every day depending on the victory or defeat.
For the time being, KIA is expected to dominate the first place, and the battle for second place between Samsung, LG and Doosan is expected to intensify. There is a high possibility that the six teams' war of hope will continue for a while for the fifth place.
As of July, the KBO league is in the first round, three out of six.
indyk@sportschosun.com
