'Unsettling' ranks No. 1 and No. 1, shaking up the top standings... Doosan finally gets a chance to face No. 2 then No. 1 in succession

*This content was translated by AI.

The recent upward momentum of the Doosan Bears is truly unsettling. And this week, they will face No. 2 KT Wiz and No. 1 Samsung Lions in succession. If they achieve strong results in this six-game series, they are expected to shake up the entire top standings landscape.

Doosan will play an away game against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 21st at 6:30 p.m. for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season. After completing a three-game midweek series with KT, they will head to Jamsil Stadium for a three-game weekend series against Samsung.

Before the All-Star break, Doosan concluded a three-game series against SSG Landers with two wins and one loss, finishing with a winning streak. Following that, in their first four-game series of the second half against NC Dinos, they dropped the opening game but then won three consecutive games to achieve a three-game winning streak.

Most encouragingly, their bats have exploded. On the 18th against NC, they hit 13 hits and scored 12 runs; on the 19th against NC again, they recorded 12 hits and successfully scored 10 runs. Their record over the last 10 games is 7 wins and 3 losses. During this period, they tied with KT (7-3) for second place, trailing only Samsung (8-2).

Doosan has finished the season with 47 wins, 2 ties, and 42 losses, placing them fifth in the league. With a four-game lead over sixth-place Hanwha Eagles, they are now eyeing the top standings. They are currently chasing fourth-place KIA Tigers by just 1.5 games. The gap to first-place Samsung is 7.5 games. With 53 games remaining, there is ample opportunity for them to aim for a spot in the upper tier.

Most importantly, Doosan boasts a formidable pitching mound. Under the leadership of manager Kim Won-hyung, who took charge this season and is known as 'KBO's living legend,' they are the only one of the 10th KBO teams to post a team ERA in the 3rd-point range (3.88). They rank first in both team strikeouts (757) and team WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched, 1.38). Additionally, their total home runs allowed stand at just 69, the lowest among all 10 teams.

Centered on native pitchers Choi Min-seok (ERA 2.19), who ranks first in ERA, and Kwak Bin (ERA 2.80), ranked third, along with Benjamin (ERA 2.71), three of their five starting pitchers have posted ERAs in the 2nd-point range. With Jacklog (ERA 4.06) also delivering ace-level performances and recently revitalized Choi Seung-yong (ERA 5.35) adding strength, it would not be an exaggeration to call them the strongest starting rotation in the KBO.

On the 21st, Doosan will start with Benjamin aiming for a victory. KT's starting pitcher is Oh Won-seok. This season, Benjamin has started 14 games, recording 4 wins and 7 losses with an ERA of 2.71. His detailed stats include 79⅔ innings pitched, 78 hits allowed (3 home runs), 21 walks, 75 strikeouts, 28 runs allowed (24 earned), a WHIP of 1.24, and a batting average against of 0.257. Against his former team KT, he appeared in one game on May 27, pitching 7 innings with 2 hits allowed, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, and no runs scored, earning the win as the winning pitcher.

This season, Doosan has shown strong performance primarily against lower-ranked teams: 6-2 against NC, 8-4 against Lotte, 7-4 against Kiwoom, and 5-4 against SSG. Against KIA, they hold a 5-7 record; against Hanwha, it is 5 wins, 6 ties, and 1 loss. In contrast, their head-to-head records against top-tier teams show struggles: 2-7 against LG and 3-6 against KT. Their record against Samsung stands at 4 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie.

Doosan will face KT, which is currently on a seven-game winning streak. After sweeping the final three games of the first half against Lotte, they also won all four away games against LG, riding a strong upward trend. Against such a surging KT, how will Doosan, also building momentum, perform? Expectations from Doosan fans are higher than ever this season.

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*This content was translated by AI.