r/KBO • u/HashCrandicoot • 1h ago
Today’s Games & Stories (23rd July, 2026)
2 rainouts, a shock defeat of top to bottom, and some pitching masterclasses headlined last nights action. Tonight promises more of the same, providing we actually get all five games. Let’s take a look at the card.
(6) Hanwha Eagles v (4) Kia Tigers
Probable Starting Pitchers
HAN: Wang Yan-cheng
KIA: Keisho Shirakawa
The Story
With their win last night, coupled with an NC Dinos rainout, Hanwha regained their 6th spot in the standings. Now that they’ve snapped a 4-game losing streak, the Eagles will hope they can start a run of form. Their starter Yang-cheng struggled mightily in his last start against lowly Kiwoom, walking more batters and allowing more home runs (3 and 2, respectively) than he had strikeouts (1). But he’ll see these tigers in a den they can’t protect, as Kia’s winning percentage at home is only .381, good for second-last in the league. Tigers starter Shirakawa has struggled with control over his last 2 starts, walking more batters (7) than he’s struck out (6). He hasn’t walked less than 3 batters in an outing since June 16th. The Eagles are 5th in the league in both walks and on-base percentage this season, so they will look to capitalise.
(7) NC Dinos v (3) LG Twins
*Chance of rainout*
Probable Starting Pitchers
NC: Curtis Taylor
LG: Lachlan Wells
The Story
If permissible by the terrible weather around Seoul, we’ll see another matchup of international pitchers after being denied it last night. Curtis Taylor comes into this one on the back of two consecutive quality starts, allowing only 3 runs combined over those 13.1 innings. It’s also worth mentioned that he’s only given up 4 home runs all season, so he knows how to keep the ball in the yard. Meanwhile, LG starter Wells is sporting an impressive 8.1 K/9 through 16 starts, but he faces a Dinos lineup who has the 3rd best team batting average in the league (.277) and have struck out as a team the second fewest times behind the Lions, so Wells will have to find a different way to win.
(5) Doosan Bears v (2) KT Wiz
*Chance of Rainout*
Probable Starting Pitchers
DOO: Gwak Been
KT: Logan Allen
The Story
After the game was cancelled yesterday due to the poor condition of the infield, this game ruins a similar risk if the game supervisor and grounds crew can’t amend the damage. It’s reported that the starting pitchers will remain the same, so everything I said yesterday still applies. The only difference is that the starters will be going on an extra days rest, so that could factor in. That could mean a lot more for Been as it does for Allen, as in his two previous starts against KT, he’s only allowed 1 run over a cumulative 12 innings, while amassing 18 strikeouts. It’s worth noting, however, that he took a No Decision in both of those games.
(9) SSG Landers v (8) Lotte Giants
Probable Starting Pitchers
SSG: Kim Min-Jun
LOT: Elvin Rodriguez
The Story
SSG showed that they can silence the doubters when they need to with last nights win, as Pedro Avila twirled a gem to snap the Landers’ 4-game skid. Tonight, it is their 6th overall pick in this year’s draft who has to do the same. Min-jun has struggled so far this season, holding a 5.61 ERA, and only pitching into the 6th inning in one of his six starts. He’ll be eager to show his new team why they drafted him in the first place. Meanwhile, Rodriguez has only won 2 of his last 12 decisions, with 5 losses and 5 no-decisions. He excels at striking batters out, but it comes at a cost. He may rank third in the league in strikeouts, but of the 20 pitchers with 90+ IP this season, he ranks 18th in ERA.
(1) Samsung Lions v (10) Kiwoom Heroes
Probable Starting Pitchers
SAM: Yang Chang-seop
KIW: Ha Yeong-min
The Story
You would think the Lions knew they would lose last night after seeing who they’re sending to the mound for the rubber match of this series. 26-yr-old Chang-seop is a remarkable 8-0 this season, and comes into this one on a run of 4 straight winning decisions. He’s been exceptional at times, highlighted by his start against Lotte in May where he was one Jang Du-seong single away from a Perfect Game. The Heroes counter with 10-year veteran Ha Yeong-min. The 31 year old struggled against the Lions in his last game, lasting only 4.2 innings, but Kiwoom have found their bats in the last 5 games, and would love to reward their 2014 4th overall pick with some run support. They should also take comfort in the fact that they’ve really brought it to Samsung in this series, and could easily be coming into this game looking at a sweep.
Which game are you most looking forward to? Will there be any surprises on the card tonight?



