SK, Kia collide to open S. Korean baseball playoffs

INCHEON, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- The SK Wyverns will host the Kia Tigers Saturday to start the best-of-five first round playoff series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
At 2 p.m. at Incheon's Munhak Stadium, the home team Wyverns will send left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun to the mound. The Tigers, who play out of Gwangju, will counter with right-hander Yoon Seok-min.
Kim, the league's most valuable player (MVP) in 2008, only managed a 4-6 record with a 4.84 earned run average (ERA) in the regular season, as he battled effects of a mild stroke he suffered late last season.
In contrast, Yoon had a banner season, winning the pitching triple crown this season as the KBO leader with 17 wins, 2.45 ERA and 178 strikeouts. Yoon was also solid against SK during the regular season, going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA.
This will be the rematch of the championship Korean Series from two years ago. The Tigers prevailed in Game 7 as Na Ji-wan hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Both clubs had a tumultous second half of the season. SK's manager Kim Sung-keun was abruptly fired in August after contract disputes with the front office. Kia was in first place at the All-Star break in July but slipped to fourth amid injuries and struggling offense.
But Lee Man-soo, the Wyverns' interim manager, said the Wyverns will rely on their recent postseason experience.
"We have won three of the past four Korean Series," he said. "We're synonymous with playoff baseball."
Cho Beom-hyun, the Tigers' manager, acknowledged the team stumbled to the finish line in the regular season but said his players are ready for the playoffs.


"All our injured players are back in the fold," Cho said. "I am a little worried about their conditioning, but we shall found out tomorrow. I am anxious to find out myself."
Both managers predicted that the series will not go the distance but will end in four games. Cho said Choi Hee-seop, former Major League Baseball first baseman, should pick up the slack from offense, and Yoon has to carry the load from the mound. Lee said he was worried about Kia's offense and the key to the victory will be for his pitchers to keep Kia hitters at bay.
The winner of this series will go on to meet the Lotte Giants in the best-of-five second round. The Giants earned a bye by virtue of finishing second in the regular season.
The Samsung Lions are waiting in the Korean Series, after taking the regular season crown.
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