'Was the top five race already over?' NC aims for second consecutive miracle; has most remaining games league-wide with 28, including 5 against Doosan

*This content was translated by AI.

A variable has emerged in what was thought to be a concluded top-five race. The fortunes of fifth-place Doosan Bears and sixth-place NC Dinos have sharply diverged since September began.

As of late August, the two teams were separated by eight games. However, while Doosan managed only one win and five losses last week, NC posted four wins and one loss, narrowing the gap to 4.5 games.

Doosan, which had been competing for third place, scored just two runs in a three-game series against LG Twins from the 1st to the 3rd and suffered a sweep. In the two-game series against SSG Landers on the 4th and 5th, they managed only two runs over two days and fell into a five-game losing streak. Their total runs across those five games amounted to just four. Although they broke their losing streak with a 16-9 victory over SSG on the 6th, they now trail third-place LG by five games and fourth-place KIA Tigers by 4.5 games.

In contrast, NC embarked on an impressive seven-game winning streak starting from the August 27 game against LG, continuing through matches against Hanwha Eagles on the 29th and 30th, KIA on September 1st and 2nd, and Kiwoom Heroes on the 4th and 5th. Their momentum was formidable. Although they lost to Kiwoom 2-4 on the 6th, halting their winning streak, they extended their lead over seventh-place Hanwha to 4.5 games, establishing themselves as the sole realistic contender for a top-five finish.

The driving force behind NC's surge has been their pitching. In last week's five games, NC showcased a formidable mound with a team ERA of 1.64. Among starters, Riley (six innings, one run allowed), Toda (six innings, two runs allowed, one earned run), and Chu Chang-mo (nine and one-third innings, four runs allowed) delivered stable performances. Lee Jae-hak, returning from injury, also completed his comeback with four innings, one hit allowed, and one run against Kiwoom on the 5th.

The bullpen's performance was even more dazzling. Over five games, they recorded eight holds and one save, posting an ERA of 0.48 (18 and two-thirds innings, two runs allowed, one earned run). Only Son Ju-hwan gave up two runs (one earned) over four innings; Lee Yong-jun, Shin Young-woo, Bae Jae-hwan, Kim Jin-ho, Song Myeong-gi, and Jeon Sa-min did not allow a single run. In the lineup, Blaine (seven RBIs), Kim Hui-jip (batting average 0.353), and Park Geon-woo (0.333) were particularly active.

There are two reasons why NC's trajectory appears unusually promising. First, last year NC remained in seventh place until September 20th, trailing fifth-place KT Wiz by three games, but secured a postseason berth with a nine-game winning streak at the end of the season.

Another factor favoring NC is that they have the most remaining games among all ten teams. NC must play 28 more games, seven more than Doosan (21 games). Although their schedule requires them to play without rest days, they are considered more advantageous because they can improve their win percentage on their own.

Moreover, with five games remaining against Doosan (currently 3 wins and 8 losses), there is potential to narrow the gap through head-to-head matchups. Additionally, five more games are scheduled against KIA, who have a 9-2 record and act as NC's "arch-nemesis." In contrast, only three games remain against the "two giants," Samsung Lions (one game) and KT (two games).

Aiming for a second consecutive October miracle, NC will face KIA on the 9th and 10th, and Doosan on the 12th and 13th, playing two-game series against each. Depending on the results, the contours of the top-five race are expected to become even clearer.

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*This content was translated by AI.