LG-Doosan "Match of the Century": Too Much at Stake for Just One Game

*This content was translated by AI.

There is far too much riding on a single game. It would be no exaggeration to call it a "match of the century."

The LG Twins and Doosan Bears will play a "historic" game at Jamsil Stadium on the 7th. This is not simply the final head-to-head matchup of the season. It is the last rivalry game to be held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which will cease to exist after this year.

Of course, the title "Jamsil Rivalry" will remain even when the teams use their temporary home ground (Olympic Main Stadium) and the newly built dome stadium (scheduled to open in 2032). However, no more regular-season matchups between the two teams can be seen at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which has been loved as the "mecca of Korean baseball" for the past 45 years. Moreover, since this game will determine not only the final winner at Jamsil but also potentially the annual records for both teams and individual players, a memorable classic is expected to unfold.

LG and Doosan have established themselves as representative rivals in the KBO League by sharing Jamsil Stadium as their joint home ground. The "Jamsil Rivalry" games, including the Children's Day series, have been contests of pride for both rosters and fans, providing countless memories and emotions.

The two teams entered a full-fledged rivalry era after Doosan relocated its base from the Chungcheong region to Seoul in the mid-1980s and LG acquired MBC in 1990. In the all-time head-to-head record up to the current point of this season, Doosan (including OB) leads LG (including former MBC) with 406 wins, 22 draws, and 372 losses (winning percentage 0.522).

This game is also LG's final home game of the season. The sight of the winning team crossing the Jamsil Baseball Stadium field to move to the locker room (Doosan on the first-base side, LG on the third-base side) when LG uses the first-base dugout in their matchups will also be a last one. Additionally, with two home games remaining and having drawn 1,574,738 spectators this season, LG is expected to conclude the year by setting a new record for breaking 1.6 million spectators in a single season at Jamsil Stadium for the first time in history.

However, the race for standings between the two teams is far too desperate to simply enjoy a celebration. Currently, LG and Doosan are in 4th and 5th place, separated by a two-game gap. If Doosan (against Lotte at Sajik) wins on the 6th and LG (against NC at Jamsil) loses, and then Doosan wins the head-to-head matchup on the 7th, the standings of the two teams will be reversed with no game difference. Assuming Doosan wins all three of its remaining games, LG must achieve at least a 3-win, 2-loss record in five games to maintain 4th place on its own merit.

The difference between 4th and 5th place in the postseason is very significant. From 2015, when the Wild Card Decider began, through last year, over a span of 11 years, only KT Wiz in 2024 (9.1%) advanced to the Junior Playoffs with two consecutive wins as the 5th-place team. In contrast, there were seven instances (63%) where the series ended in just one game with a win by the 4th-place team.

There is another reason why both teams must go all out on this day: the race for the most wins between Im Chan-gyu (34, LG) and Choi Min-seok (20, Doosan), who are expected to be the starting pitchers.

The two pitchers are tied for first place in wins with 14 each, alongside Ko Young-pyo (35, KT Wiz). Ko Young-pyo is scheduled to pitch one more game in the remaining season, while Im Chan-gyu and Choi Min-seok may have this appearance as their last, or if they push themselves a bit, rest for four days and return to the mound once more on the 12th for their team's final game. Therefore, if they secure a win in this head-to-head matchup to reach the milestone of 15 wins, they can at least reserve a spot as co-leaders in wins, making a no-holds-barred contest expected between them.

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*This content was translated by AI.