The SSG Landers, mired in a 12-game losing streak, face the Kiwoom Heroes, riders of an 8-game skid, in a make-or-break series. One team will end its slump, while the other will sink deeper into trouble.
SSG and Kiwoom will play a three-game midweek series at SSG Landers Field in Incheon from Tuesday through Thursday.
◇ SSG's Franchise-Record 12-Game Skid vs. Kiwoom's Return to the Cellar with 8 Straight Losses
The matchup draws attention because both teams are mired in their worst slumps of the season. SSG is on a franchise-record 12-game losing streak, while Kiwoom has dropped eight in a row.
The shock is particularly severe for SSG. Once a contender for the top spot in the early part of the season, SSG has lost 12 straight games, beginning with a loss to the LG Twins on May 17 and continuing through a defeat against the Hanwha Eagles on May 31. This marks the longest losing streak in the franchise's history, including its days as the SK Wyverns.
With 20 losses in May alone, SSG also took on the dubious distinction of being tied for second-most monthly losses. The team, which sat in fourth place and just two games behind the league leader as of May 16, has plummeted to eighth. With the gap to last-place Kiwoom narrowed to three games, SSG now must even worry about falling to the bottom of the standings.
Both pitching and hitting have collapsed. During the losing streak, SSG's team ERA stood at 6.39, the worst in the league, and its team batting average was .220, the lowest among the 10 clubs. The starting rotation faltered, overburdening the bullpen, while the lineup, with its core hitters slumping, failed to produce. Half of the 12 losses, or six games, were come-from-behind defeats — a stark reflection of the team's current mood.
Kiwoom is in a similar situation. Considered a weak team even before the season, Kiwoom climbed out of last place with a five-game winning streak from May 17 to May 22. But the team immediately fell into an 8-game losing streak starting with a loss to the LG Twins on May 23, dropping back to the bottom of the standings.
During the slide, the rotation's ERA was 5.87, ranking ninth in the league. With the mound unable to hold up, the upward momentum was short-lived.
◇ Today's Starters … SSG's Anthony Veneziano vs. Kiwoom's Raul Alcantara
Both teams, desperate to end their losing streaks, will send foreign starters to the mound for Tuesday's game.
Anthony Veneziano takes the mound for SSG. Veneziano has posted a 1-3 record with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts this season. Against Kiwoom, he has made two starts without a win but has allowed four runs (three earned) over 10⅔ innings for a 2.53 ERA.
Raul Alcantara leads the way for Kiwoom. Alcantara is 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 10 starts this season. In his first matchup against SSG, he earned a win with eight scoreless innings.
Both teams also made roster moves before the game. SSG removed Han Yu-seom, Lee Jung-bum and Lee Ji-young from the first-team roster, while Kiwoom dropped rookie pitcher Park Jun-hyun and infielder Yeom Seung-won.
