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| Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung (from left) Sports Chosun DB |
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| The game between Hanwha and Kiwoom at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 10th, Hanwha won 9-1 to win its 11th consecutive game in 33 years. Hanwha players, who finished the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, are sharing their joy. Gocheok = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2025.05.10/ |
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| A match between the Samsung Lions and the LG Twins at Daegu Lions Park on the 10th. The winning LG players are happy. Daegu=Park Jae-man Reporter pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.05.10/ |
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Was there a time when the Hanwha Eagles, LG Twins, and Lotte Giants reigned in the third round.
The three strongest teams, which were not even combined in imagination, became a reality in May 2025. First place Hanwha Eagles (27-13) and second place LG Twins (26-14) by one game. And Lotte Giants (24 wins, 2 draws and 16 losses) are in second place and third place with a two-game difference. The gap between Lotte and the fourth-ranked NC Dinos (17 wins, 1 draw and 18 losses) is 4.5 games. The difference between the third and the rest of the teams is very big,
Hanwha has been on a winning streak to the point where the expression 'I forgot how to lose' is correct. After eight consecutive wins, he has won two consecutive games, and since then, he has won 12 consecutive games. In other words, the mound is ranked sixth overall with a team batting average of 252 percent, but ranked first overall with a 3.07 ERA. The strong starters of Cody Ponce, Ryan Weiss, Ryu Hyun-jin, Moon Dong-ju and Um Sang-baek and the iron wall bullpen of Park Sang-won, Han Seung-hyuk and Kim Seo-hyun created a difficult challenge.
LG dominated with a 'absolute 1st place' in the beginning and came down to second place, but immediately won three consecutive games against the Samsung Lions and maintained a one-game gap with Hanwha to regain the top spot. As sluggish hitters such as Hong Chang-ki, Moon Sung-joo and Park Hae-min revive, the overall batting lineup is improving, and the mound is stabilizing as temporary replacement foreign pitcher Coen Win gives stable pitching, it is expected to compete fiercely with Hanwha for first place.
Lotte is struggling with the starting lineup as Charlie Barnes, the first starter, and Kim Jin-wook, the fifth starter, fell out due to poor performance and injuries, but they have continued to perform well due to the strong pitching of Park Se-woong and Davidson and the explosion of the lineup. He ranks first overall with a team batting average of 286 percent.
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| Lotte-Kium match held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 1st. Lotte players, who won 5-0 and won three consecutive games, are high-fiving. Gocheok = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.5.1/ |
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| In the first game of a doubleheader between NC and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 11th, NC won 11-5. NC players sharing their joy of victory. Jamsil = Reporter wook@sportschosun.com/2025.05.11/ |
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| KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 7th. Kiwoom came from behind to beat KIA 11-10. Kiwoom players are sharing the joy of winning after the game. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.07/ |
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Only the third round has a 50% winning rate or higher, and the rest of the teams have not even reached the 50% winning rate. This means that the three strongest teams are showing an overwhelming performance.
There is a 2.5 game gap between the fourth-place NC and the ninth-place Doosan Bears (16 wins, 2 draws and 22 losses). Six teams are in a situation where their rankings change depending on their wins and losses every day.
NC's advancement stands out in the middle. Despite the inconvenience of only going to away games for more than a month, he has won seven consecutive games (including one draw). He won two consecutive games against Lotte, three against KT, and two against Doosan (including one draw). The driving force of the winning streak is a hot hit, with the fewest points during seven consecutive wins being five points. KIA, the winning team last year and the favorite this season, is still in eighth place with 17 wins and 21 losses.
Only Kiwoom fell far away. It has already reached 30 losses, with 13 wins and 30 losses and a winning rate of 30 percent. It is 15.5 games behind Hanwha and 5.5 games behind Doosan in ninth place. Two foreign hitters were used to strengthen the batting, and the team batting average was last at 232, and the only mound was last with a 6.00 ERA. If this trend continues, it could be disgraced for the first time ever with 100 losses.
Will Hanwha, LG, and Lotte continue to maintain the three-tier system in the future, leading to a fierce battle for first place. Will there be a team that will come up from the middle to the third round. Will Kiwoom continue to fall like this. The KBO League ranking fight is becoming more interesting amid the all-time box office sensation, which is more active than last year.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
