'Covered with a tarp due to light rain' Could KT face a rainout? "We'll remove the tarp and start in 30 minutes" [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

The ground at SuwonKT Wiz Park was covered with a blue tarp just 20 minutes before the game was scheduled to begin.

KT and Lotte were scheduled to play their 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season match at SuwonKT Wiz Park on the afternoon of the 5th at 6 p.m.

However, as the sky over Suwon gradually darkened from the afternoon onward, raindrops suddenly began to fall, prompting ground maintenance staff at SuwonKT Wiz Park to spring into action. A KT club official stated, "Once the rain stops, we will remove the tarp and begin the game 30 minutes later."

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 5:40 p.m., the expected precipitation for the Suwon area was zero. Yet rain is clearly falling, and the KMA's probability of precipitation remains at 30% throughout the night.

If a rainout occurs, it would be even more welcome for KT, which has won three consecutive games. Since June, KT's bullpen has collapsed sharply, resulting in a poor record of three wins and seven losses in their last 10 games. On June 1, the team's ERA stood at 5.68, ranking ninth in the league. To make matters worse, leadoff hitter Choi Won-joon, who was leading the league in batting average, has recently been sidelined due to injury.

For today's game, KT lined up with Choi Won-joon (designated hitter), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Ahn Hyeon-min (right fielder), Sam Hilliard (center fielder), Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder), Kim Sang-su (second baseman), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Kwon Dong-jin (shortstop). Matt Sauer was named the starting pitcher.

Lotte countered with a lineup featuring Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder), Ko Seung-min (second baseman), Victor Reyes (left fielder), Han Dong-hee (designated hitter), Na Seung-yeop (first baseman), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Park Chan-hyung (third baseman), Jeon Min-jae (shortstop), and Son Seong-bin (catcher). Park Se-woong was their starting pitcher.

Both teams' starting pitchers are facing each other for the first time this season. Sauer, who joined KT this year, has recorded six wins and four losses in 15 regular-season games with an ERA of 4.48 over 86⅓ innings and 64 strikeouts. However, despite facing eight teams, he has never played against Lotte before.

The starting pitcher for Lotte that KT will face is Park Se-woong (31). Park has posted two wins and six losses in 15 games this season with an ERA of 4.75 over 83⅓ innings and 78 strikeouts, marking his first matchup against KT this year. Last year, he also struggled at Suwon, going 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two games.

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*This content was translated by AI.