Seoul rivals going toe-to-toe to begin KBO postseason this week

Seoul rivals LG Twins and Doosan Bears are set to face each other in the first game of the KBO postseason wild card round, which begins Wednesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The Twins, as the fourth seed, will host the game and secure their progression to the next round with a win or a tie. However, if they fall short of winning, they will have another chance to earn a victory at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The Bears, the fifth seed, must secure two consecutive wins at Jamsil to advance.

The KBO added the wild card round in 2015, and this is the only time in history that a fourth seed has been eliminated. The Twins will take the mound with former major leaguer Carlos Carrasco, who currently boasts a 4.05 ERA after joining the team in July. His performance against the Bears in their August debut was impressive, as he pitched seven shutout innings.

Doosan's starter, Gwak Been, had the lowest ERA (2.24) in the KBO this year, and 197 strikeouts to his name. He aims to achieve his first postseason win against the Twins, who have dominated their season series with 11 wins out of 16 meetings. This will be their seventh postseason encounter and their final one at Jamsil, which will be torn down after this season to make way for a new domed stadium.

While the Twins have faced some setbacks this season due to injuries, the Bears have remained consistent in fifth place throughout the season. The Bears recently clinched the fifth seed, allowing them to set their rotation and rest key bullpen pitchers for the wild card contests. The Twins, however, tried to secure the third seed on the final day of the regular season, but their efforts were unsuccessful, resulting in a fourth-place finish. Now, they must focus on addressing their bullpen issues as they prepare for the postseason.