The LG Twins have set their regular season win target for this year at ’88 wins’.
LG currently has 64 wins, 38 losses, and 2 draws (a winning percentage of 0.627) through 104 games, leading the second-place KT WIZ (59 wins, 46 losses, and 2 draws) by 6.5 games.
They will now look to win 24 of their remaining 40 games and finish the regular season with 88 wins, 54 losses and two draws (0.620 winning percentage).
Last year’s SSG Landers, who held the top spot from the opening game to the end of the season to win the “wire-to-wire title,” also finished with 88 wins (52 losses, 4 draws and a winning percentage of 0.629).
“If we can win just eight games in the remaining 40 games, we will be able to reach our target ranking,” LG coach Yeom Kyung-yup told reporters at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Wednesday, expressing confidence that “it’s not a difficult number.”
It’s a blueprint to reach the Korean Series for the first time in 21 years since 2002 and win their first Korean Series title in 29 years since 1994.
“We didn’t look down, we didn’t look up, we just did our best game by game from the opening game,” Yeom said of second-place KT’s chase, adding, “The most important thing is to play our baseball in the remaining 40 games.”
“If we don’t do something solid this year, we’re going to falter next year,” he said, “so we have to make sure we take advantage of our opportunities when they come.”
LG’s offensive baseball has been effective this season, he said.
While the team leads the league in stolen bases (198) and failed attempts (58) and has the lowest stolen base rate in the league (73%), he believes the aggressive play has shaken up the opposition.
When there are LG runners on base, opposing pitchers have no choice but to use their breaking pitches and slide steps, and opposing catchers and fielders are forced to put more energy into defense.
“Overall, I think there were more positive factors than negative ones,” Yeom said, predicting that the team will continue to improve with fewer negative factors next year. 파워볼사이트