KBO Predictions and Analysis – Tuesday, September 14 (2021)

The top South Korean baseball league returns on Tuesday after the traditional rest on the first day of each week. With around 40 games left by the end of the regular season, it looks like the most exciting battle will be for the fourth and fifth place in the standings.

Five teams are currently involved and some of them meet each other in the next round. I share my KBO predictions for all games on the schedule, although, one or two might fall through because of rain.

Here’s a full list of the fixtures I cover.

Both sides are winless in their last four games, but it must be mentioned that the Eagles tied two encounters in a row against the Samsung Lions at the end of last week.

The performances were impressive and the team has the upper hand when it comes to the starting pitchers for Tuesday’s clash.

Hanwha’s Nick Kingham has been excellent over the course of the season, while SSG will have to rely on Choi Min-jun. The youngster allowed plenty of runs in his last three starts and it’s hard to expect anything different.

The Eagles should be able to win this one and my only concern is that their bullpen could let them down late in the game.

The KBO leaders have managed to open a gap at the top and I’m sure they will be eager to keep the distance from the chasing pack.

We are expected to see two of the best pitchers in the league in action on Tuesday. Odrisamer Despaigne and Ariel Miranda have been great so far this season.

Doosan’s star has the better stats overall, but KT Wiz is the most consistent team and Despaigne didn’t allow even a single run the last time he met the Bears. That’s enough for me to back the leaders, but this one could go either way.

LG’s struggles in the past few days allowed the Lions to claim the second place in the standings. The Twins have the chance to win it back immediately, but I’m not sure they will take it.

The team is expected to send one of its most inconsistent pitchers, while the Lions are about to start Won Tae-in who has a 12-5 record.

The Twins usually struggle big time when they have don’t the much stronger starter, especially against teams of Samsung’s caliber. I think we will see something similar which is why I prefer the Lions in my KBO predictions for September 14.

Ever since the KBO returned after the Olympics break, the Lotte Giants have been among the most consistent sides in South Korean baseball. The team can still earn a place in the KBO playoffs and beating opponents like the Tigers will be crucial.

Kia’s Daniel Mengden is the stronger starting pitcher on paper, but he has been far from reliable so far. At the same time, Lee Seung-heon had a decent game in his only clash against the Tigers this year.

On top of that, Lotte’s offense is significantly better and I see more arguments for the Giants to win on Tuesday.

The Dinos and the Heroes are two of the teams chasing the last two playoff spots. Both sides will be desperate to win against a direct rival on Tuesday and they start somewhat comparable pitchers in terms of sheer stats.

When it comes to records and previous meetings, Wes Parson should give the Dinos an advantage. The champions have one problem, though – they have really struggled against Kiwoom this season.

The Heroes have a 7-2 advantage in the H2H record and they simply know how to beat the Dinos. Their offense almost always delivers and that’s enough for me to back them on Tuesday.