"We will clearly distinguish between games we can win and games we will lose" — A fateful six-game series against the top two teams... KIA Manager Lee Beom-ho asked for prayers [Gwangju Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers Manager Lee Beom-ho (45) spoke of "selection and concentration" ahead of a fateful six-game series against the first- and second-place teams.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against LG Twins, to be held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 16th, Manager Lee Beom-ho offered a joking remark: "I think we should use up all our luck this week."

Until this game, KIA stands at 34 wins, 1 tie, and 31 losses, sitting in fourth place in the league. They trail first-place LG (41 wins, 24 losses) by seven games and second-place KT Wiz (38 wins, 1 tie, 25 losses) by five games.

Thus, the team's resolve is not to win every game, but to secure the games that are realistically within reach. Manager Lee Beom-ho stated, "We will do whatever it takes to win the games we can win. We will clearly distinguish between games where the odds are heavily against us and those we can win, and operate accordingly this week. We have no intention of deploying our best lineup just because we might trail by a run or two. The most important thing is to save our best lineup for games we can win and create winning situations."

This strategy has led to a contrasting atmosphere. In their last 10 games, LG has won 7 and lost 3, KT has won 6 and lost 4, while KIA has won 5 and lost 5. Especially over the past week, poor team batting has left KIA with just 1 win and 4 losses in their last 5 games. Manager Lee Beom-ho emphasized, "Both LG and KT are in their best form recently in terms of pitching, offense, and defense. We will check for any weaknesses and, for this week only, clearly distinguish between games we can win and games we will lose."

On this day, KIA lined up Kim Min-kyu (left fielder), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Na Sung-beom (designated hitter), Kim Sun-bin (second baseman), Byun Woo-hyeok (first baseman), Park Min (shortstop), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Park Jae-hyun (right fielder). The starting pitcher was Kaisei Shirakawa.

The opposing pitcher is left-handed Asia quota player Lachlan Wells. Wells has pitched 10 games this year with a 3-2 record, a 2.63 ERA, and 45 strikeouts over 54⅔ innings, performing like a top-tier starter. Especially against KIA, he has posted a 0.75 ERA in just two games this year, making him a nightmare matchup.

Manager Lee said, "Wells is a very good pitcher. He has good velocity and throws an excellent changeup. At his level, he should be considered an overseas pitcher, not just an Asia quota player. Other teams likely feel the same. He is outperforming players who came from the United States."

He continued, "We are generally good at breaking up strong pitchers, but we struggle against Wells. Although Wells gave up many runs in his last game, he might not be in good form today if he tried too hard. Pitcher condition is important, so if he looks off, we will try to hit aggressively."

This is also a crucial game for Shirakawa, who has returned to the KBO League after two years. Joining as an Asia quota player to replace Jered Day, Shirakawa had a poor outing in the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles game, allowing 3 earned runs over 3⅔ innings. However, he pitched 5 scoreless innings in the Gwangju Lotte Giants game on the 4th, so he aims to feed off the energy of his home stadium.

Manager Lee said, "Hanwha's lineup is a team with competitiveness for third place in the league. I think they are a very tough opponent for Shirakawa, and they drew many balls. Aside from the home run hit by Moon Hyun-bin, he held them well, so I am curious to see how he will fare against LG."

He added, "When facing strong teams, how well Shirakawa pitches is very important for our team. Since Shirakawa pitched well in Gwangju, if he can show his pitching in the first game, we believe it can be an even contest."

Given the objectively unfavorable odds, some luck is also needed. Manager Lee said, "We will think of it as a matchup between our top starter and their Asia quota player and fight hard," but then added, "Please pray for us," before leaving the interview room with a joking smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.